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June 1 - 3 , 1978 - University of Hawaii at Manoa

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HAWAII IBP SYNTHESIS:<br />

6. GENETIC VARIATION AND POPULATION STRUCTURE IN ISLAND SPECIES*<br />

Hampton L. Carson<br />

Department <strong>of</strong> Genetics<br />

<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Hawaii</strong> <strong>at</strong> <strong>Manoa</strong><br />

Honolulu, <strong>Hawaii</strong> 96822<br />

Evolution is an extremely active process on islands, even in<br />

highly isol<strong>at</strong>ed archipelagos like Hawai'i and Galapagos. Species<br />

form<strong>at</strong>ion is frequently exuberant and, in many cases, wholly<br />

novel adapt<strong>at</strong>ions have developed. At first glance, it seems<br />

remarkable th<strong>at</strong> this should be true because it is clear th<strong>at</strong> in<br />

many relevant instances the lineage which evolves actively in the<br />

islands can be traced ultim<strong>at</strong>ely to one or only a few continental<br />

founder individuals. Even more founder effects appear to occur<br />

as new species are formed within an archipelago. On the surface,<br />

this appears to be a system which might deplete genetic vari-<br />

ability and thus reduce evolutionary potential. Precise d<strong>at</strong>a on<br />

genetic vari<strong>at</strong>ion within island species <strong>of</strong> Drosophila flies have<br />

been accumul<strong>at</strong>ing now for about 15 years. Modern methods <strong>of</strong><br />

analysis <strong>of</strong> genetic variability (biochemical, chromosomal, and<br />

polygenic) have been employed to assay genetic variability in<br />

various endemic and introduced species. Virtually without excep-<br />

tion, these species have local popul<strong>at</strong>ions which are fully as<br />

polymorphic genetically as those <strong>of</strong> widespread continental<br />

species. Accordingly, such popul<strong>at</strong>ions are highly competent for<br />

adaptive evolution. Most island species, however, have small<br />

total popul<strong>at</strong>ions. Thus, even though the local popul<strong>at</strong>ions may<br />

be rich in genetic variability, the total variability sequestered<br />

within continental species is certainly much larger, but this<br />

does not appear to be a crucial difference. In high-altitude<br />

archipelagos like Hawai'i, many factors promote isol<strong>at</strong>ion. The<br />

serial isol<strong>at</strong>ions to which island popul<strong>at</strong>ions are subjected have<br />

a pr<strong>of</strong>ound effect on their genetic structure. This is true not<br />

only for popul<strong>at</strong>ions between islands (species form<strong>at</strong>ion is by<br />

interisland founder effects) but also for local popul<strong>at</strong>ions<br />

within an island or even a volcano.<br />

As long ago as 1932, Sewall Wright proposed th<strong>at</strong> the condi-<br />

tions most favorable for rapid evolutionary change exist within a<br />

species which is subdivided into local semi-isol<strong>at</strong>ed popul<strong>at</strong>ions,<br />

some <strong>of</strong> which have quite small effective sizes. Many island<br />

species appear to reflect precisely this dispersive type <strong>of</strong> popu-<br />

l<strong>at</strong>ion structure and this may explain their observed evolutionary<br />

momentum.<br />

In Addition to IBP support, this work has been supported by<br />

grants GB 27586, 29288, and BMS 22532 from the N<strong>at</strong>ional Science<br />

Found<strong>at</strong>ion.<br />

Abstract

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