CONSERVATION GENETICS OF THE PLAIN PIGEON COLUMBA-INORNATA IN PUERTO-RICO AND THE DOMINICAN-REPUBLIC

Genetic sequence variation in the mitochondrial D-loop was assessed fo r 42 individuals of the plain pigeon Columba inornata from Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, While overall genetic diversity was low i n these populations, five haplotypes were observed, with one unique to Puerto Rico and three haplotypes unique to the Dominican Republic sam ple (with haplotype diversity of h(PR) = 0.479 and h(DR) = 0.591, and nucleotide diversity of pi(PR) = 0.2% and pi(DR) = 0.4% where the subs cripts correspond to Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, respectiv ely). A G-test of haplotype frequencies between these two populations suggest that these two subspecies (C. i. wetmorei and C. i. inornata) are genetically distinct and should be managed separately. With little apparent gene flow between these two islands (estimates of migration Nm = 1.18) it would appear that the endangered species C. i. wetmorei is endemic to the island of Puerto Rico and that these current populat ions were not founded by a recent extinction and recolonization event from the Dominican Republic.