Coming to light: First insight into the genetic diversity of Peale's dolphins at a Patagonian MPA

Abstract

Genetic diversity is a measure of genetic variation among individuals of a species. This variation, a result of mutations and changes in allelic frequencies, can be maintained or not due to the action of other evolutionary forces, namely migration (gene flow), genetic drift, and natural selection (Frankham, Ballou, & Briscoe, 2002). Genetic diversity is the raw matter upon which natural selection operates, providing species with the capacity to cope with habitat changes, i.e., their evolutionary potential (Laikre, 2010). For this reason, the preservation of genetic diversity is considered an essential issue by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (McNeely, Miller, Reid, Mittermeier, & Werner, 1990; Willoughby et al., 2015), and genetic studies provide essential data for the conservation of biodiversity (Laikre, 2010).