Mitochondrial DNA and Allozyme Analysis of North American Pronghorn Populations

Lee, Thomas; Bickham, John; Scott, M

To help preserve and manage pronghorn (Antilocapra americana), it is important to characterize genetic variation of pronghorn populations. We assessed allozyme variation in 330 pronghorn from 29 populations. Twenty of 33 presumptive genetic loci were polymorphic. Clustering values obtained from Rogers' distance, using unweighted pair-group method analysis, indicated close affinities between Oregon (A. a. oregona) and American pronghorn (A. a. americana) subspecies. Populations from southwestern Texas and southern New Mexico clustered in several groups outside the Oregon-American pronghorn cluster. This pattern was consistent with recognition of Mexican pronghorn (A. a. mexicana) as a distinct subspecies. We used restriction-fragment analysis to measure mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variation in 110 individuals representing most of the pronghorn range. We found 9 mitochondrial haplotypes in the NADH dehydrogenase (ND-2) gene region. Seven were rare in most populations. Consequently, pronghorn showed a reduced amount of mtDNA variation within most populations relative to other mammalian species. An exception occurred in pronghorn from Yellowstone National Park, which possessed 4 haplotypes, 1 of which occurred nowhere else. Mexican pronghorn were discernable from other subspecies by 1 restriction site that was common in some western Texas populations. Oregon pronghorn was not discernible from American subspecies.

Mitochondrial DNA and Allozyme Analysis of North American Pronghorn Populations

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