Comparative levels of genetic variability in harbour seals and northern elephant seals as determined by genetic fingerprinting

• Main Authors: Lehman, Niles, Ne, Robert K Way, Stewart, 3and Brent S
• Format: Book Part
• Language: unknown
• Published: Oxford University PressOxford 1993
• Subjects: Elephant Seal; Elephant Seals
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198540694.003.0004; https://academic.oup.com/book/chapter-pdf/52430117/isbn-9780198540694-book-part-4.pdf

Abstract As a consequence of recent population bottlenecks, the amount of genetic variability in the northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris) is thought to be extremely low. However, the species is apparently thriving throughout its breeding range in the eastern Pacific. By using analysis of hypervariable minisatellite loci in the northern elephant seal, we find that this species is indeed lacking invariation, as roughly 90% of alleles are shared among all the individuals tested. There is not enough variation to test hypotheses concerning island and beach philopatry. In contrast, harbour seals (Phocavitulina) tested from the eastern Pacific possess much greater levels of variation at these loci and demonstrate a small degree of population-genetic structuring among the breeding sites studied.