The Phenotypic Relationship of a Clonal Line to Its Population of Origin: Rapid Embryonic Development in an Alaskan Population of Rainbow Trout
Robison, B.D.; Thorgaard, G.H.
Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 133(2): 5-61
2004
ISSN/ISBN: 0002-8487 DOI: 10.1577/02-160Document Number: 227862
Homozygous clonal lines of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss are currently being used for genetic analysis of several important quantitative traits, but the relationship between a unique clonal phenotype and the phenotype of the source population remains unclear. We aimed to determine whether the accelerated development rate previously observed in a clonal line derived from Swanson River, Alaska, rainbow trout was also represented in the source population. Development rates of rainbow trout from three geographically distinct populations (the Swanson River, Skookumchuck River, Washington, and American River, California) were compared across a range of temperatures. The Swanson River rainbow trout had an accelerated rate of development at all temperatures, and quantitative genetic analyses indicated a genetic basis for the differences in development rate among populations. These results indicate that the clonal line derived from the Swanson River population is a reflection of an evolved phenotype in the source population and support the idea that clonal lines can be used to study the genetic basis of local adaptation in rainbow trout. Reprinted by permission of the publisher.