INFLUENCE OF FRAGMENTATION AND BOTTLENECKS ON GENETIC-DIVERGENCE OF WILD TURKEY POPULATIONS

There are few empirical studies of the effects of human-induced fragmentation and bottlenecks on the genetic structure of field populations. Assessment of these effects is necessary to evaluate the relevance of predictions obtained from simulation and theoretical models to the management of wild populations. The genetic structure of populations of the Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), which have been heavily influenced by human activities, was examined using allozyme electrophoresis. Allele frequencies at four polymorphic loci were estimated for 27 localities using 461 turkeys. The estimated proportion of genetic variation resulting from differences among populations (F(st) = 0.102) was one of the highest reported for any avian species and was also much higher than that observed between turkey populations that had not passed through known bottlenecks. Almost all of the variation (89%) among populations was accounted for by differences between groups of populations with different histories of manipulation. Fragmented distributions and population bottlenecks due to human activities appear to have increased genetic differentiation among populations of wild turkeys. This observation agrees with theoretical predictions concerning the effects of isolation and bottlenecks on the genetic structure of field populations.