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Combining nuclear autosomal and Y-chromosome phylogeographic information to study male biased gene flow in the European rabbit

The European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is composed of two distinct evolutionary groups which are present in Iberia where they form a secondary contact zone along a southeast-northwest axis. While the mitochondrial lineages that characterise them are very divergent and still show a limited geographic overlap, allele frequencies from 20 protein loci vary gradually across Iberia defining a large secondary contact zone with extensive genetic admixture. The estimated time divergence for the mitochondrial lineages is about two million years, whereas from allele frequency data an estimate of 250.000 years of separation for the two groups is obtained, suggesting that, at least, one of them is wrong. 

With this project we aim to test the hypothesis of whether the large discrepancy between nuclear and cytoplasmic genetic markers is due to a much lower dispersal rate of the females relative to the males in the rabbit species. To test this hypothesis the phylogeographic patterns of two independent nuclear genes with two major protein alleles (albumin-ALB and carbonic anhydrase 2-CA2), as well as a 1.0 to 1.5 Kb segment of the Y chromosome (from which haplotypes will be constructed on the basis of single nucleotide polymosphisms - SNPs) will be studied. Sequence variation and the diversity of linked microsatellite markers will be screened in 22 to 24 populations, regularly distributed in Iberia and France. We expect that nuclear genes will show a pattern of lineage divergence comparable to that of the mtDNA but showing larger geographic overlap with Y chromosome lineages having the most extensive overlap. The estimated 250.000 years probably date the beginning of a sudden demographic change with strong population growth, dispersal and secondary contact. Therefore, allelic diversity of microsatellites linked to nuclear lineages is expected to decrease along major routes of geographic expansion in direction of the limit of distribution of the respective lineage.

Team
Principal Investigator
Madalena Simas Branco

Madalena Simas Branco

Position: Collaborator
Group:
MarChange
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Researchers
Miguel Jorge Pinto Carneiro

Miguel Jorge Pinto Carneiro

Position: Principal Researcher
Group:
EVOLGEN
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Nuno Miguel dos Santos Ferrand de Almeida

Nuno Miguel dos Santos Ferrand de Almeida

Position: Full Professor
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Paulo Célio Alves

Paulo Célio Alves

Position: Associate Professor
Group:
CONGEN
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State
Concluded
Proponent Institution
CENTRO DE ESTUDOS DE CIÊNCIA ANIMAL
Funded by
FCT
Dates
0000
Participant Institutions
ICETA
Reference
POCTI/BSE/40280/2001
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