caa a22 4500 44585815X CHVBK 20180317145434.0 cr unu---uuuuu 170323e20110401xx s 000 0 eng 10.1007/s10592-010-0151-3 doi (NATIONALLICENCE)springer-10.1007/s10592-010-0151-3 Genetic identity of endangered massasauga rattlesnakes ( Sistrurus sp.) in Missouri [Elektronische Daten] [H. Gibbs, Michael Murphy, James Chiucchi] An important application of DNA-based genetic techniques in conservation genetics is to establish the taxonomic identity of individuals whose ancestry is uncertain, especially those from declining populations. Massasauga rattlesnakes (Sistrurus catenatus) in Missouri currently persist in three isolated populations and have been classified as eastern massasauga rattlesnakes (S. c. catenatus), which is a candidate for listing as a Federally Threatened or Endangered species. However, previous morphological evidence has suggested that these snakes are either hybrids between the eastern massasauga (S. c. catenatus) and the non-threatened western massasauga (S. c. tergeminus) or are pure S. c. tergeminus. Here, we analyze microsatellite DNA and mtDNA variation to assess the taxonomic identity of individuals from two of the three populations specifically those found in Holt and Linn Counties, Missouri. Population and phylogenetic analyses strongly support the conclusion that snakes in both populations are genetically most similar to reference S. c. tergeminus individuals from Kansas and are not related to S. c. catenatus individuals from Illinois and Ohio. These results argue that the current classification of these snakes as endangered S. c. catenatus is unwarranted and hence that the overall range-wide numbers of S. c. catenatus are less than previously estimated. Nonetheless the Missouri populations, while not part of the federally listed taxon, are strongly deserving of protected status at the state level because of their rarity within the state. Springer Science+Business Media B.V., 2010 Putative hybrids nationallicence Genetic identity nationallicence Massasauga rattlesnakes nationallicence Cluster and phylogenetic analyses nationallicence Microsatellites nationallicence mtDNA nationallicence Gibbs H. Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, Ohio State University, 300 Aronoff Laboratory, 318 West 12th Avenue, 43210-1293, Columbus, OH, USA aut Murphy Michael Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, Ohio State University, 300 Aronoff Laboratory, 318 West 12th Avenue, 43210-1293, Columbus, OH, USA aut Chiucchi James Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, Ohio State University, 300 Aronoff Laboratory, 318 West 12th Avenue, 43210-1293, Columbus, OH, USA aut Conservation Genetics Springer Netherlands 12/2(2011-04-01), 433-439 1566-0621 12:2<433 2011 12 10592 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-010-0151-3 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI 1 research-article jats NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-010-0151-3 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Gibbs H. Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, Ohio State University, 300 Aronoff Laboratory, 318 West 12th Avenue, 43210-1293, Columbus, OH, USA aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Murphy Michael Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, Ohio State University, 300 Aronoff Laboratory, 318 West 12th Avenue, 43210-1293, Columbus, OH, USA aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Chiucchi James Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, Ohio State University, 300 Aronoff Laboratory, 318 West 12th Avenue, 43210-1293, Columbus, OH, USA aut NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- Conservation Genetics Springer Netherlands 12/2(2011-04-01), 433-439 1566-0621 12:2<433 2011 12 10592 Metadata rights reserved Springer special CC-BY-NC licence nationallicence BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-springer