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53,333,000 Yen (FY1998; 19,112,000 Yen)
Wild populations of several plants and animals were investigated on the relationship of genetic variability with morphological ecological and biogeographical traits . In herbaceous plants, a geographically restricted species had low genetic diveristy compared to its widespread congener in Cerastium, although, in Tricyrtis sect. Flavae, the contrary pattern was observed. In the Japanese clouded butterfly, Porunassius glacialis, there was a significant negative relationship between the population mean FA and the mean heterozygosity, suggesting that FA could be one of the indicators to evaluate the genetic variability within populations.
In three marsh-inhabiting passerine birds, Megalurus pryeri, Emberiza yessoensis and Acrocephalus arundinaceus , although FA was quite prevalent in all species and it was coincident with some genetic components, the causes of variation in FA levels were not clear. In the alpine accentor Prunella collaris, there was a relatively-inbred insular population structure in which the breeding system probably reduced their genetic variability. In the Hokkaido population of the sika deer Cervus nippon, there were six subpopulations based on mitochondorial DNA haplotypes and the heterozygosity was relatively lower than in the Chiba population. The degree of FA in antlers and mandibles was not different between populations or years irrespective of its genetic bases or food conditions . In several populations of the sika deer, the level of genetic valiability within a population did not correlate with its population size and fitness measure of individuals. In the Iriomote wildcat Felis iriomotensis, no polymorphism in neutral microsatellite genes were found, but relatively high level of variability was found in MHC class I genes.
allozyme, DNA, fluctuating asymmetry, genetic marker, heterozygosity