Population genetic analysis of Caiman latirostris in Santa Fe province, Argentina, by RAPD.

PATRICIA AMAVET ¹ , E. ROSSO , P. SIROSKI AND ROSA MARKARIANI

Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia

Congreso; XVII Working Meeting of Crocodile Specialist Group (CSG/SSC/UICN); 2004

Crocodile Specialist Group (CSG/SSC/UICN)

Caiman  latirostris is a species scarcely studied to genetic level in our country, which is essential  to complement strategies for management and conservationIn the present paper the  preliminary results of a population analysis performed in Santa Fe province are described. Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA markers (RAPD) are used in order to determine variability and genetic structure of 3 distant  wild populations. Genomic DNA isolation of  31 individuals were performed by a method that does not require the use of proteinase K, cheaper and effective in its results. At the moment, 20 primers were tested, out of which 8 have been selected for analysis. All samples of DNA have been amplified with these primers, and amplification products from one population were analyzed on  agarose gels. Registered results show that all  primers examined produced different RAPD fragment patterns and could find no differences between banding patterns  of  individuals of the same population.