Genetic divergence between populations of the stingless bee uruçu amarela (Melipona rufiventris group, Hymenoptera, Meliponini): is there a new Melipona species in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais?
Open Access
- 1 January 2007
- journal article
- Published by FapUNIFESP (SciELO) in Genetics and Molecular Biology
- Vol. 30 (3), 667-675
- https://doi.org/10.1590/s1415-47572007000400027
Abstract
Allozyme, microsatellite and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) molecular markers were used to investigate the within and between population genetic variability and between population genetic differentiation of the Brazilian stingless bee uruçu amarela (nominally Melipona rufiventris Lepeletier, 1836) present in savanna and Atlantic forest habitats of the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais (MG). We found low levels of within population variability, although there were a large number of private alleles that specifically characterized these populations. The F ST values indicated a high level of genetic diversity between populations. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed a high degree of population differentiation between the savanna and Atlantic forest habitats, confirmed by population pairwise F ST data. Principal coordinates analysis and unweighted pair-group method using an arithmetic average (UPGMA) dendrograms also confirmed that in Minas Gerais the savanna populations (M. rufiventris) were genetically distinct from those present in the Atlantic forest (M. mondury). In addition, populations from locations near the towns of Dom Bosco and Brasilândia de Minas were genetically different from those collected in other localities in the savanna. Our data indicate that populations of uruçu amarela found in the savanna and Atlantic forest habitats of Minas Gerais state should be treated separately for conservation purposes and that special attention should be given to the populations found in the region of Dom Bosco and Brasilândia de Minas until their taxonomic status is clarifiedKeywords
This publication has 25 references indexed in Scilit:
- Isoenzyme Variation in Melipona rufiventris (Hymenoptera: Apidae, Meliponina) in Minas Gerais State, BrazilBiochemical Genetics, 2005
- Very low genetic variability in the Indian queenless ant Diacamma indicumMolecular Ecology, 2004
- Genetic differentiation and local adaptation in the salt-marsh beetle Pogonus chalceus: a comparison between allozyme and microsatellite lociMolecular Ecology, 2004
- Genetic divergence in Tetragonisca angustula Latreille, 1811 (Hymenoptera, Meliponinae, Trigonini) based on rapd markersGenetics and Molecular Biology, 2004
- Social and genetic characteristics of geographically isolated populations in the antFormica cinereaMolecular Ecology, 2001
- A molecular marker distinguishes the subspecies Melipona quadrifasciata quadrifasciata and Melipona quadrifasciata anthidioides (Hymenoptera: Apidae, Meliponinae)Genetics and Molecular Biology, 2000
- Discrepancies in population differentiation at microsatellites, mitochondrial DNA and plumage colour in the pied flycatcher — inferring evolutionary processesMolecular Ecology, 2000
- Population genetic structure and colonization history of Bombus terrestris s.l. (Hymenoptera: Apidae) from the Canary Islands and MadeiraHeredity, 1998
- Extraction of genomic DNA from Melipona quadrifasciata (Hymenoptera: Apidae, Meliponinae)Brazilian Journal of Genetics, 1997
- An absence of enzyme variability within two species of Trigona (Hymenoptera)Heredity, 1983