Across the great divide: genetic forensics reveals misidentification of endangered cutthroat trout populations

  1. JESSICA L. METCALF1,3,
  2. VICTORIA L. PRITCHARD2,
  3. SARAH M. SILVESTRI3,
  4. JAZZMIN B. JENKINS1,
  5. JOHN S. WOOD3,
  6. DAVID E. COWLEY2,
  7. R. PAUL EVANS4,
  8. DENNIS K. SHIOZAWA5,
  9. ANDREW P. MARTIN1

Article first published online: 28 AUG 2007

DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294X.2007.03472.x

Issue

Molecular Ecology

Molecular Ecology

Volume 16, Issue 21, pages 4445–4454, November 2007

Additional Information

How to Cite

METCALF, J. L., PRITCHARD, V. L., SILVESTRI, S. M., JENKINS, J. B., WOOD, J. S., COWLEY, D. E., EVANS, R. P., SHIOZAWA, D. K. and MARTIN, A. P. (2007), Across the great divide: genetic forensics reveals misidentification of endangered cutthroat trout populations. Molecular Ecology, 16: 4445–4454. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-294X.2007.03472.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA,

  2. 2

    Department of Fishery and Wildlife Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003, USA,

  3. 3

    Pisces Molecular, LLC, Boulder, CO 80301, USA,

  4. 4

    Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA,

  5. 5

    Department of Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA

* Jessica Metcalf, Fax no: 303 492 8699; E-mail: jessicalmetcalf@gmail.com

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 18 SEP 2007
  2. Article first published online: 28 AUG 2007
  3. Received 28 April 2007; revision accepted 19 June 2007

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Keywords:

  • AFLP;
  • conservation genetics;
  • cutthroat trout;
  • endangered species;
  • forensics;
  • microsatellite

Abstract

Accurate assessment of species identity is fundamental for conservation biology. Using molecular markers from the mitochondrial and nuclear genomes, we discovered that many putatively native populations of greenback cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii stomias) comprised another subspecies of cutthroat trout, Colorado River cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii pleuriticus). The error can be explained by the introduction of Colorado River cutthroat trout throughout the native range of greenback cutthroat trout in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by fish stocking activities. Our results suggest greenback cutthroat trout within its native range is at a higher risk of extinction than ever before despite conservation activities spanning more than two decades.

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