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Does Breeding Site Fidelity Drive Phenotypic and Genetic Sub-Structuring of a Population of Arctic Charr?

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Abstract

There is now increasing acceptance that divergence of phenotypic traits, and the genetic structuring that underlie such divergence, can occur in sympatry. Here we report the serendipitous discovery of a sympatric polymorphism in the upper Forth catchment, Scotland, in a species for which high levels of phenotypic variation have been reported previously, the Arctic charr, Salvelinus alpinus. Attempting to determine the proximate mechanisms through which this pattern of phenotypic variation is maintained, we examine the use of the available feeding resource and the genotypic and phenotypic structure of charr in this system. We show clear differences in head morphology between charr from three very closely connected lakes with no barrier to movement (Lochs Doine, Voil and Lubnaig) and also differences in muscle stable isotope signatures and in stomach contents. There were significant differences at 6 microsatelite loci (between Lubnaig and the other two lochs) and very low estimates of effective migration between populations. We conclude that, despite living in effective sympatry, strong genetic and phenotypic sub-structuring is likely maintained by very high levels of site fidelity, especially during spawning, resulting in functional allopatric divergence of phenotype.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University Field Station, Institute of Biomedical and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, G63 0AW, Loch Lomond, Rowardennan, Glasgow, Scotland

    Colin E. Adams, Deborah J. Hamilton, Ian Mccarthy, Alan Grant & Gavin Alexander

  2. Department of Zoology, University of Guelph, N1G 2W1, Guelph, ON, Canada

    Alastair J. Wilson & Moira M. Ferguson

  3. Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre, Scottish Enterprise Technology Park, G75 0QF, East Kilbride, Scotland

    Susan Waldron

  4. Institute of Biology, University of Iceland, Grensásvegur 11, IS-108, Reykjavík, Iceland

    Sigurdur S. Snorasson

  5. Holar Agricultural College, 551 Saudarkrokur, Holar Hjaltadalur, Iceland

    Skuli Skúlason

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  1. Colin E. Adams
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  2. Deborah J. Hamilton
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  3. Ian Mccarthy
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  4. Alastair J. Wilson
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  5. Alan Grant
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  6. Gavin Alexander
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  7. Susan Waldron
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  8. Sigurdur S. Snorasson
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  9. Moira M. Ferguson
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  10. Skuli Skúlason
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Correspondence to Colin E. Adams.

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Co-ordinating editor: K. Lindström

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Adams, C.E., Hamilton, D.J., Mccarthy, I. et al. Does Breeding Site Fidelity Drive Phenotypic and Genetic Sub-Structuring of a Population of Arctic Charr?. Evol Ecol 20, 11–26 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10682-005-2489-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10682-005-2489-4

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