POPULATION DIVERGENCE IN THE CHLOROPLAST GENOME OF EUCALYPTUS NITENS

Variation in the chloroplast genome of Eucalyptus nitens was assessed for ten individuals from each of eight populations covering the natural range of the species. Twenty-five mutations were detected which were distributed over 13 haplotypes. The mutations were present both within and between populations. The level of nucleotide diversity within the species was high and the majority of the variation was distributed between populations and regions. The level and distribution of haplotype diversity were similar to those of the nucleotide diversity. The interpopulational variation may be related to the large range and disjunct populations that characterize the species, due to the effects of isolation and genetic drift. There were three mutations which were unique and fixed in one small population. Individuals in the species could be distinguished into two cpDNA groups. The distribution of these groups was not consistent with any geographical pattern. The distribution of the cpDNA groups suggests that they art of ancient origin and predate the isolation of the regions. The pattern of cpDNA variation is not consistent with patterns of variation in morphological traits.