Are There Barriers Separating the Pink River Dolphin Populations (Inia boliviensis, Iniidae, Cetacea) within the Mamoré-Iténez River Basins (Bolivia)? An Analysis of Its Genetic Structure by Means of Mitochondrial and Nuclear DNA Markers.

The pink river dolphin, or bufeo, is one of the dolphins which lives in the rivers of the Orinoco and Amazon basins in South America. The Bolivian bufeo population is considered a differentiated species (Inia boliviensis) from the Amazon and Orinoco species (Inia geoffrensis). Until now, no study has completed an extensive population genetics analysis of the bufeo in Bolivian rivers. We analyzed 82 bufeos from different rivers from the Mamoré and Iténez (Guaporé) river basins for the mt control region (CR), nuclear microsatellites, and DQB-1 gene sequences to determine if the inner rapids of these Bolivian river basins have some influence on the genetic structure of this species. The first relevant result was that the genetic diversity for CR, and the microsatellites were substantially lower in the Bolivian bufeos than in the dolphins studied in other areas of the Amazon and Orinoco. However, the DQB-1 gene sequences yielded similar genetic diversity to those found in other areas. The second relevant result is the existence of some significant genetic heterogeneity among the bufeo populations within Bolivia, although in a small degree, but this differentiation is independent of the inner rapids of the Bolivian rivers we sampled. The third relevant result was the existence of significant isolation by distance for the CR, but not for microsatellites and DQB-1 gene sequences. This was related to differential gene flow capacity of females (philopatric) and males (less philopatric and more migrants) and, possibly, to different selective patterns affecting the molecular markers studied. The fourth relevant result was related to diverse demographic changes of these bufeos. At least two or three bottleneck events and one or two population expansions have occurred in the Bolivian bufeo population. The major part of these events occurred during the Pleistocene.

Genetic connectivity between Atlantic bluefin tuna larvae spawned in the Gulf of Mexico and in the Mediterranean Sea.

The highly migratory Atlantic bluefin tuna (ABFT) is currently managed as two distinct stocks, in accordance with natal homing behavior and population structuring despite the absence of barriers to gene flow. Larval fish are valuable biological material for tuna molecular ecology. However, they have hardly been used to decipher the ABFT population structure, although providing the genetic signal from successful breeders. For the first time, cooperative field collection of tuna larvae during 2014 in the main spawning area for each stock, the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) and the Mediterranean Sea (MED), enabled us to assess the ABFT genetic structure in a precise temporal and spatial frame exclusively through larvae. Partitioning of genetic diversity at nuclear microsatellite loci and in the mitochondrial control region in larvae spawned contemporarily resulted in low significant fixation indices supporting connectivity between spawners in the main reproduction area for each population. No structuring was detected within the GOM after segregating nuclear diversity in larvae spawned in two hydrographically distinct regions, the eastern GOM (eGOM) and the western GOM (wGOM), with the larvae from eGOM being more similar to those collected in the MED than the larvae from wGOM. We performed clustering of genetically characterized ABFT larvae through Bayesian analysis and by Discriminant Analysis of Principal Components (DAPC) supporting the existence of favorable areas for mixing of ABFT spawners from Western and Eastern stocks, leading to gene flow and apparent connectivity between weakly structured populations. Our findings suggest that the eastern GOM is more prone for the mixing of breeders from the two ABFT populations. Conservation of this valuable resource exploited for centuries calls for intensification of tuna ichthyoplankton research and standardization of genetic tools for monitoring population dynamics.

Remarkable Geographic Structuring of Rheophilic Fishes of the Lower Araguaia River.

Rapids and waterfalls, and their associated fauna and flora are in peril. With the construction of each new hydroelectric dam, more rapids and waterfalls are destroyed, leading to the disappearance of associated fauna and flora. Areas of rapids harbor distinct, highly endemic rheophilic fauna and flora adapted to an extreme environment. Rheophilic habitats also have disjunct distribution both within and across rivers. Rheophilic habitats thus represent islands of suitable habitat separated by stretches of unsuitable habitat. In this study, we investigated to what extent, if any, species of cichlid and anostomid fishes associated with rheophilic habitats were structured among the rapids of Araguaia River in the Brazilian Amazon. We tested both for population structuring as well as non-random distribution of lineages among rapids. Eight of the nine species had multiple lineages, five of these nine species were structured, and three of the eight species with multiple lineages showed non-random distribution of lineages among rapids. These results demonstrate that in addition to high levels of endemicism of rheophilic fishes, different rapids even within the same river are occupied by different lineages. Rheophilic species and communities occupying different rapids are, therefore, not interchangeable, and this realization must be taken into account when proposing mitigatory/compensatory measures in hydroelectric projects, and in conservation planning.

Mitochondrial DNA sequence analysis of the Mexican Creole sheep (Ovis aries) reveals a narrow Iberian maternal origin.

The Creole sheep in America is supposed to have originated specifically from the Iberian Peninsula and introduced by the Spaniards during the colonization. However, it is not clear their genetic relationship with Iberian breeds. The genetic origin and diversity of the Mexican Creole sheep (MCS) were investigated by mitochondrial DNA control region nucleotide sequences. DNA sequence from 33 MCS samples from three regions of México revealed 21 different haplotypes. Phylogenetic analysis including European and Iberian sheep haplotypes showed that the MCS population belongs to a differentiated and defined genetic lineage. This finding suggests that the MCS populations may be the result of a founder effect originating from a discrete Iberian population. MCS haplotypes were related to haplotypes found in the Churro Trunk and the Entrefino Trunk groups of Iberian breeds, supporting historical reports. In the Mexican genetic branch, there were also haplotypes reported from Lacaune and Awassi sheep breeds. Although it is uncertain whether a particular breed was involved as a founder of the MCS, these populations have a common phylogenetic origin.

Populations analysis of the Brazilian Sharpnose Shark Rhizoprionodon lalandii (Chondrichthyes: Carcharhinidae) on the São Paulo coast, Southern Brazil: inferences from mt DNA sequences

Sharks of the genus Rhizoprionodon can be considered some of the most important predators along the trophic coastal marine ecosystems and represent an important economic resource for the small-scale fisheries, especially on the Brazilian coastline. In order to analyze the population structure of the shark Rhizoprionodon lalandii of São Paulo, Southeastern coast of Brazil, levels of genetic diversity were identified by nucleotide sequence analyses of the mitochondrial DNA control region. The results obtained from this study present moderate values of haplotype diversity and low nucleotide diversity. Although the AMOVA tests (ΦST = 0.08394, P < 0.01) had shown slightly differences among the studied samples, evidence for the occurrence of population structuring was not found, which may be a general feature of sharks living in coastal areas.

Tubarões do gênero Rhizoprionodon são considerados predadores de grande importância ao longo da cadeia trófica nos ecossistemas costeiros e marinhos, também representando um importante recurso econômico para a pesca, especialmente no litoral brasileiro. A fim de analisar a estrutura populacional do tubarão Rhizoprionodon lalandii no litoral de São Paulo, sudeste do Brasil, foram identificados os níveis de diversidade genética a partir da análise de sequências nucleotídicas da região controladora do DNA mitocondrial. Os dados obtidos neste estudo apresentam valores moderados de diversidade haplotípica e baixos índices de diversidade nucleotídica. Embora os testes de AMOVA (ΦST = 0,08394, P < 0,01) tenham revelado uma pequena diferença entre as amostras estudadas, evidências sobre a ocorrência de estruturação populacional não foram encontradas o que pode representar uma característica geral para tubarões vivendo em áreas costeiras.