Amphibian molecular ecology and how it has informed conservation

Evan McCartney-Melstad; H Bradley Shaffer

doi:10.1111/mec.13391

Amphibian molecular ecology and how it has informed conservation

Mol Ecol. 2015 Oct;24(20):5084-109. doi: 10.1111/mec.13391. Epub 2015 Oct 12.

Authors

Evan McCartney-Melstad¹, H Bradley Shaffer¹

Affiliation

¹ Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, La Kretz Center for California Conservation Science, and Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, 610 Charles E Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, USA.

PMID: 26437125
DOI: 10.1111/mec.13391

Abstract

Molecular ecology has become one of the key tools in the modern conservationist's kit. Here we review three areas where molecular ecology has been applied to amphibian conservation: genes on landscapes, within-population processes, and genes that matter. We summarize relevant analytical methods, recent important studies from the amphibian literature, and conservation implications for each section. Finally, we include five in-depth examples of how molecular ecology has been successfully applied to specific amphibian systems.

Keywords: amphibians; conservation genetics; landscape genetics; natural selection and contemporary evolution; population genetics-empirical; wildlife management.

Publication types

Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
Review

MeSH terms

Amphibians / genetics*
Animals
Anura
Conservation of Natural Resources*
Ecology / methods*
Genetics, Population*
Molecular Biology
Urodela