Genetic and morphological contrasts between wild and anthropogenic populations of Agave parryi var. huachucensis in south-eastern Arizona.

Background And Aims: At least seven species of Agave, including A. parryi, were cultivated prehistorically in Arizona, serving as important sources of food and fibre. Many relict populations from ancient cultivation remain in the modern landscape, offering a unique opportunity to study pre-Columbian plant manipulation practices.

Managing diversity: Domestication and gene flow in Stenocereus stellatus Riccob. (Cactaceae) in Mexico.

Microsatellite markers (N = 5) were developed for analysis of genetic variation in 15 populations of the columnar cactus Stenocereus stellatus, managed under traditional agriculture practices in central Mexico. Microsatellite diversity was analyzed within and among populations, between geographic regions, and among population management types to provide detailed insight into historical gene flow rates and population dynamics associated with domestication. Our results corroborate a greater diversity in populations managed by farmers compared with wild ones (H E = 0.

Spatial and spatial-temporal clustering analysis of hemorrhagic disease in white-tailed deer in the southeastern USA: 1980-2003.

We used the space-time K function and Kulldorff's scan statistic to analyze the spatial and spatial-temporal clustering of hemorrhagic disease (HD) in white-tailed deer in Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee. The HD occurrence data were binary presence/absence data acquired annually on a county basis from 1980 to 2003. Space-time K function was employed to globally examine the existence of spatial-temporal clustering in the HD data.

Evaluating the utility of microsatellites for investigations of autopolyploid taxa.

Autopolyploid taxa present numerous challenges for population genetic analyses due to difficulties determining allele dosage. Dosage ambiguity hinders accurate assessment of allele frequencies, multilocus genotypes (MLGTs), as well as levels and patterns of clonality. The pervasiveness of polyploidy in the evolutionary history of plant taxa makes this a recurring problem.

Inferring ancient Agave cultivation practices from contemporary genetic patterns.

Several Agave species have played an important ethnobotanical role since prehistory in Mesoamerica and semiarid areas to the north, including central Arizona. We examined genetic variation in relict Agave parryi populations northeast of the Mogollon Rim in Arizona, remnants from anthropogenic manipulation over 600 years ago. We used both allozymes and microsatellites to compare genetic variability and structure in anthropogenically manipulated populations with putative wild populations, to assess whether they were actively cultivated or the result of inadvertent manipulation, and to determine probable source locations for anthropogenic populations.

Genetic consequences of pre-Columbian cultivation for Agave murpheyi and A. delamateri (Agavaceae).

Pre-Columbian farmers cultivated several species of agave in central Arizona from ca. A.D.