A comparison of diversity in the zfy gene in two species of pinnipeds with different breeding strategies
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Date
2006-04-12
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Texas A&M University
Abstract
Sequence variation was examined for the Zinc-finger Y (zfy) gene and the
mitochondrial control region for two species of pinnipeds, the Steller sea lion
(Eumetopias jubatus) and harbor seal (Phoca vitulina). The two species differ in aspects
of their breeding strategies, dispersal, and life histories. Comparable stock sample sizes
of males from each species were taken from localities that span at least one wellrecognized
phylogeographic stock as defined by mtDNA markers. Variation in zfy, a
strictly paternally inherited marker located on the Y chromosome, was low in both
species. An interesting pattern of subdivision was found for zfy in harbor seals that was
concordant with population subdivision for mtDNA. In Steller sea lions, no such
concordant pattern was evident with only a single rare zfy variant being observed. One
explanation for the different patterns observed is that dispersal is less in male harbor
seals than in male Steller sea lions.
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Keywords
Zfy, Pinniped, Eumetopias jubatus, Phoca vitulina, Population Genetics