LE3 .A278 1997

1997

Snyder, Marlene

Acadia University

Master of Science

Masters

Biology

Biology

Leach's storm petrel (Oceanodroma leucorhoa Vieillot 1817) is one of the most populous seabirds breeding in maritime Atlantic Canada. Leach's storm petrel breed colonially on offshore islands, and exhibit strong site tenacity, returning to the same nest burrow each season, often with the same mate. I used random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) to estimate population differentiation between three colonies, Bon Portage I., N.S., Big White I., N.S. and Gull I., Nf. Three oligonucleotide primers were used to identify 23 polymorphic loci within the genomic DNA of 96 individual petrels. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) indicate small but statistically significant variance among groups (3.47%, p $<$ 0.001, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland) and among colonies within groups (2.4%, p = 0.038, three nesting islands). Similarity and percent match estimates of genetic distance failed to recover colonial groupings. The observed structure is likely a result of high contemporary gene flow or a historical association following the most recent glaciation.

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