2003/07/28 by Rod Peakall, Daniel Ebert, Leon J Scott +2 · 2 citations
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Environmental Science · #Amplified fragment length polymorphism #Araucaria #Biology #Botany #Ecology #Endangered species #Evolutionary biology #Forest Insect Ecology and Management #Genetic diversity #Genetic diversity and population structure #Genetic variation #Genetics #Plant Pathogens and Fungal Diseases #Population
paper · doi:10.1046/j.1365-294x.2003.01926.x
openalex publication_date 2003/07/28 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/02
The Wollemi pine, Wollemia nobilis (Araucariaceae), was discovered in 1994 as the only extant member of the genus, previously known only from the fossil record. With fewer than 100 trees known from an inaccessible canyon in southeastern Australia, it is one of the most endangered tree species in the world. We conducted a comparative population genetic survey at allozyme, amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci in W. nobilis, Araucaria cunninghamii and Agathis robusta - representatives of the two sister genera. No polymorphism was detected at 13 allozyme loci, more than 800 AFLP loci or the 20 SSR loci screened in W. nobilis. In Ag. robusta only one of 12 allozyme loci, five of 800 AFLP loci and none of the 15 SSR loci were variable. For A. cunninghamii, 10 of > 800 AFLP loci and five of 20 SSR loci were variable. Thus low genetic diversity characterizes all three species. While not ruling out the existence of genetic variation, we conclude that genetic diversity is exceptionally low in the Wollemi pine. To our knowledge this is the most extreme case known in plants. We conclude that the combination of small population effects, clonality and below-average genetic variation in the family are probable contributing factors to the low diversity. The exceptionally low genetic diversity of the Wollemi pine, combined with its known susceptibility to exotic fungal pathogens, reinforces current management policies of strict control of access to the pines and secrecy of the pine locations.