GENETIC DIVERSITY OF MOOSE FROM THE KENAI PENINSULA, ALASKA

Authors

  • Kris J. Hundertmark
  • Paul E. Johns
  • Michael H. Smith

Abstract

Six of 20 loci expressed in liver and muscle tissue from Kenai Peninsula moose (Acles alces gigas) were polymorphic. Average heterozygosity was 7.7%, which represents an unprecedented level of genetic diversity for moose. This level of diversity was not expected because empirical evidence from other moose populations, as well as theoretical considerations, indicated that moose exhibited low levels of heterozygosity. We propose that moose populations with low diversity reside in areas that were glaciated during the last Ice Age and that the recolonization process reduced heterozygosity, while high-diversity populations reside in areas in the proximity of glacial refugia.

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Published

1992-01-01

How to Cite

Hundertmark, K. J., Johns, P. E., & Smith, M. H. (1992). GENETIC DIVERSITY OF MOOSE FROM THE KENAI PENINSULA, ALASKA. Alces: A Journal Devoted to the Biology and Management of Moose, 28, 15–20. Retrieved from https://www.alcesjournal.org/index.php/alces/article/view/1037