Population genetic theory for 'traditional' codominant loci showing low levels of allelic diversity (eg allozymes) has been well characterised and evaluated. In contrast, appropriate methods for the analysis of data from more recently developed marker systems are still being refined. For multilocus dominant markers such as amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs) and randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPDs), the methods of data analysis can be split into two main categories. In population-based approaches, population allele frequencies are compared to obtain some measure of the partitioning of genetic diversity into within-and between-population components. In contrast, individual-based approaches use individual multilocus genotypes as the unit of analysis. Inferences on population processes such as gene flow are based on inter-relationships among individual samples as visualised on phenetic diagrams such as neighbour joining trees. Using a simulation approach coupled with neighbour joining analyses, we show that while the underlying population genetic structure is an important determinant of tree shape in the analysis of dominant data, the number of loci examined also affects the topology. At low levels of population differentiation (eg F ST ¼ 0.07), mutually exclusive clustering of individuals into their respective populations can occur when sufficiently large numbers of loci are scored (eg 250 loci, typical of many AFLP studies). In contrast, unresolved star-shaped topologies can be recovered at higher levels of population differentiation (F ST ¼ 40.15) when lower numbers of loci are employed (eg 50 loci, typical of many RAPD studies). Thus, the relationship between tree topology and the extent of genetic structuring of populations is contingent upon the number of dominant loci scored. The consequences of these findings for the biological interpretation of individual-based analysis of dominant data sets are discussed.
IntroductionTraditional descriptors of population genetic structure (eg F ST ) were developed for the analysis of population samples scored for genetic markers showing codominant inheritance and low levels of allelic diversity (typically two to four alleles per locus). A substantial body of population genetic theory appropriate for such markers has provided us with an understanding of how estimates of F ST are influenced by parameters such as migration rate, population size and mutation rate (Wright, 1978;Nei, 1987). Using this knowledge, it is now possible (with caution, and making a number of assumptions) to infer biological processes such as dispersal patterns from estimates of F ST calculated from traditional codominant markers (eg allozymes) in natural populations.In recent years, a much wider range of genetic markers with significantly different properties have become available (Karp et al, 1998). These can be divided into two main classes: (1) locus-specific hypervariable microsatellite markers and (2) multilocus arbitrary fingerprinting techniques (eg randomly amplified polymor...