Sc. Lougheed et al., A comparison of RAPD versus microsatellite DNA markers in population studies of the massasauga rattlesnake, J HEREDITY, 91(6), 2000, pp. 458-463
We compared genetic differentiation among populations of the threatened mas
sasauga rattlesnake (Sistrurus c. catenatus) using two types of nuclear mol
ecular markers: randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers and micro
satellites. Analyses of molecular variance (AMOVA) and G(ST) and F-ST analy
ses Indicated that levels of among-population differentiation between regio
nal populations (>100 km) were comparable for both markers. However, micros
atellites were superior in population assignment tests and at discerning fi
ne-scale genetic differentiation between subpopulations separated by tens o
f kilometers. These results argue that both types of markers are suitable f
or defining broad-scale genetic structures in snake populations and can pro
vide important inputs into conservation Initiatives of focal taxa. However,
our analyses suggest that microsatellites are better for detecting structu
re at limited spatial scales.