Population genetics of sand shiner (Notropis stramineus) across the Great Plains

Authors: Huachan Liang, Chloe McGuan, Guilherme Caeiro-Dias, Megan Osborne

Year: 2022

Abstract

The sand shiner, Notropis stramineus, is a small body fish that inhabits a variety of environments including sandy-bottomed streams and rivers. Sand shiners are distributed across the Great Plains to the eastern United States. On the basis of morphology two subspecies are recognized. However, genetic analysis using microsatellites and a mitochondrial gene identified five clades within sand shiner suggesting at least five cryptic species that were not associated with previously described subspecies. Here we used microsatellite data from 7 loci to investigate the distribution of genetic diversity within three of these groups (clades A, M and R) represented by 29 localities and 866 samples. Preliminary analysis showed that all populations sampled encompass relatively high levels of genetic diversity with the highest gene diversity in the most widely distributed M clade (Upper Mississippi River), followed by the A clade (Arkansas, Canadian) and the R clade (Red River). Allelic diversity was lowest in the Red River group. We found that a significant proportion of genetic variance was explained by differences between previously identified genetic clades (A, M and R) and between localities within clades. Results provide insights into the evolutionary history of the group.