Abstract
The genetic relationships between the only natural population of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) in Denmark and seven other European salmon populations were studied using RFLP analysis of PCR amplified mitochondrial DNA segments. Six different haplotypes were detected by restriction enzyme analyses of the NADH dehydrogenase 1 segment, employing four endonucleases. Significant genetic differentiation was observed among populations. A hierarchical analysis of the distribution of the mtDNA variability revealed that only a small part was distributed among geographical groups within the study area. No correlation was found between genetic and geographic distance among populations. The effective migration of females (Nm )F among rivers was estimated to be approximately one per generation.
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Acknowledgements
Acknowledgements We are grateful to Bob Krebs and Philip W. Hedrick for helpful comments on the manuscript and to all those who provided us with salmon samples: S0ren Larsen and J0rgen J0rgensen helped us to obtain samples from the Skjern river. Gert Holdensgaard, John Taggart, Kjetil Hindar, Sna3bj0rn Pallson and Einar Arnasson kindly provided us with Atlantic salmon samples. We would like to thank the Danish Inland Fisheries Laboratory and the Danish National Research Council (grant no. 94-0163-1) for financial support.
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Nielsen, E., Hansen, M. & Loeschcke, V. Genetic structure of European populations of Salmo salar L. (Atlantic salmon) inferred from mitochondrial DNA. Heredity 77, 351–358 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1038/hdy.1996.153
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/hdy.1996.153
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