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Pollution and Genetic Structure of North American Populations of the Common Dandelion (Taraxacum Officinale)

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Abstract

Assessing the genetic structure of natural populations differentially impacted by anthropogenic contaminants can be a useful tool for evaluating the population genetic consequences of exposure to pollution. In this study, measures of genetic diversity at variable-number-tandem-repeat loci in six dandelion populations (3 urban and 3 rural) showed patterns that may have been influenced by exposure to environmental contaminants. Mean genetic similarity among individuals within a population was significantly and positively correlated with increasing levels of airborne particulate matter (≤ 10 μm, PM10) and soil concentrations of four metals (Cd, Fe, Ni and Pb). In addition, mean genetic similarity was always significantly higher at the urban sites compared to rural sites. There was a significant negative correlation between the number of genotypes at a site and increasing amounts of PM10, concentrations of five soil metals (Cd, Cu, Fe, Ni and Pb), leaf tissue levels of Fe and a significant positive correlation between the extent of clonality at a site and levels of PM10 and soil concentrations of five metals (Cd, Cu, Fe, Ni and Pb). Although, this study does not directly establish a causal link between the specific contaminants detected at the study sites and differences in genetic diversity, our data are consistent with the hypothesis that pollution-induced selection has contributed in some fashion to the lower genetic diversity found at the urban sites.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, Miami University – Hamilton, Hamilton, Ohio, U.S.A.

    Brian Keane

  2. Department of Biology, Wittenberg University, Springfield, Ohio, U.S.A.

    Matthew H. Collier

  3. Department of Biological Sciences ML6, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.A.

    Steven H. Rogstad

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  1. Brian Keane
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  2. Matthew H. Collier
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  3. Steven H. Rogstad
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Correspondence to Steven H. Rogstad.

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Keane, B., Collier, M.H. & Rogstad, S.H. Pollution and Genetic Structure of North American Populations of the Common Dandelion (Taraxacum Officinale). Environ Monit Assess 105, 341–357 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-005-4333-2

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