7717

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 7717
• Author: Rosenfeld, M. J.
• Title: Genetic Analysis of the Colorado River Gila
• USFW Year: n.d.
• USFW - Doc Type: Non-fatal Sampling, Cell Culture, Chromosomal Analysis and Electrophoresis.
• Copyright Material: NO

"-- . , f-' .. ~..

we gain a more complete understanding of the ge~etic structureiof

the Colorado Ri ver Gi I a compl e>:.

Ultimately we must be able to

identify individuals from different gene pools.

Since species

recovery entails strategies to increase population size~ it is

important to

understand genetic variation within surviv~ng

populations in order to also preserve diversity (Beardmo~e,

1983) .

Investigations at the cytogenetic and electrophoretic lev~ls

of resolution have not been previously tried with respect! to

identifying Gila from the Colorado River; this report is ~he

first to attempt it from those

perspectives.

Unambigupus

identifications could be possible if populations or species w.ere

characterizable by

distinct chromosomal

states or pro~ein

electromorphs.

Cytogenetics entails analyses of the morphology and interinal

details of chromosomes (see Ojima, 1983,

for a review speci!fic
I

to fishes).

Chromosomes contain the genetic material and :our

understanding of chromosomes with respect

to the reproduc~ive
I

process is

fairly substantial;

consequently,

one might be

able to not only distinguish between individuals but also pre~ict

the consequences of hybridization on the basis of chromos~mal

differences.

Electrophoresis entails the mo~ement of

protei ns in an

electric field~

with different proteins migrating diffe~ent

distances.

If a protein (e.g., an enzyme such as malate dehy~ro-