Increased Sample Size Proved More Insights for the Population Structure of Mediterranean Loggerhead Sea Turtles (original) (raw)

The loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta), has the broadest distribution among sea turtle species in the Mediterranean and requires regional and international collaborations in addition to local efforts to better inform conservation actions. Molecular techniques are powerful tools to assess population dynamics at large scales, especially by determining the connectivity among different nesting and foraging sites, and genetic diversity. In this study, a large sample was collected synchronously in the nesting areas located in the north, south and east of the Mediterranean. Recently described nesting sites from Albania and other nesting sites represented by lower sample size were also included in order to fully assess the genetic composition of the region’s rookeries. Samples from 710 individuals were collected and the longer (815 bp) mtDNA D-loop fragment of these samples was amplified. We recorded 15 haplotypes, three of which were novel. In addition, our results show that some hapl...

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