Genetic Variation in Peripheral Populations

Clarkia xantiana ssp. Xantiana, Gunsight Clarkia

The taboo of stable range limits is under further investigation by scientists in hopes of understanding the affects that the geographic range of a species has on both its genetic variation as well as the survivability of its members. In this study researchers looked at multilocus DNA sequences from the annul plant species Clarkia xantiana ssp. Xantiana, or gunsight clarkia. The researchers observed that in past events the large population has very little change in population size or bottlenecking as you move from the central to the peripheral ranges. Although the peripheral populations are stable, the diversity of these populations is affected by the central population by means of migration. The data suggests that adaptation is hindered by a lack of genetic variation not demographic or range limits.