Abstract

The Kisatchie Painted Crayfish, Faxonius maletae, are considered to be imperiled and potentially endangered in Texas and Louisiana. There are two known subpopulations, and previous work suggested these subpopulations may be highly genetically differentiated and therefore deserving of different subspecies or species status. Upon field sampling and performing DNA extractions, Restricted Site Associated DNA Sequencing (RAD-Seq) was performed based on Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) to assess genetic variability between Texas and Louisiana subpopulations. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the two subpopulations are not genetically differentiated from one another. Population genetic analyses further supported that the species are not genetically differentiated from one another (P=0.49, FST = 0.10). The results presented here suggest that the two subpopulations are still exchanging alleles with one another and are not separate species or subspecies. Faxonius maletae is declining indicating the importance for conservation status in Texas and Louisiana.

Date of publication

Spring 3-22-2019

Document Type

Thesis

Language

english

Persistent identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/10950/1317

Committee members

Lance Williams, Josh Banta, John Placyk, Marsha Williams

Degree

Master of Biology

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