PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Etienne Loire
AU  - Nicolas Galtier
TI  - Preserving microsatellites? Conservation genetics of the giant Galápagos tortoise
AID  - 10.1101/101980
DP  - 2017 Jan 01
TA  - bioRxiv
PG  - 101980
4099  - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2017/05/05/101980.short
4100  - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2017/05/05/101980.full
AB  - Conservation policy in the giant Galápagos tortoise, an iconic endangered animal, has been assisted by genetic markers for ∼15 years: mitochondrial DNA and microsatellite loci have been used to delineate thirteen (sub)species, between which hybridization is prevented. Here, comparative reanalysis of a previously published NGS data set reveals a conflict with traditional markers. Genetic diversity and population substructure in the giant Galápagos tortoise are found to be particularly low, questioning the genetic relevance of current conservation practices.Data accessibility: no new data was produced