Genetic markers and mite population biology

摘要

Population biologists now have at their disposal new molecular tools with which to explore some questions that were difficult to address just 10 years ago. Among possible applications of these methods are the detection of sibling species and races, examination of genetic systems, tracing of the source of introductions, estimation of the level of migration, and gene flow between populations. These methods rely on the detection of genetic variation at individual genetic markers and the application ofthe methods of population genetics. Mitochondrial and nuclear variation in tetranychid mites are used to illustrate how different markers can provide different types of information about evolutionary biology, and to show the advantages of using a combination of different markers.