Conservation genetics

In this study, I describe genetic structure and degree of genetic divergence among Komodo dragon populations. Genetic analyses were carried out using blood and tissue samples collected from individuals on all of the islands that have dragons. Komodo dragons inhabit five islands, surrounded by relatively shallow waters (see Chapter 3), which were connected during the last glaciation about 18,000 years ago. After the ice melted, sea level rose, and the islands became progressively separated from each other (see Ciofi and Bruford 1999, and below). Recent history of population divergence therefore represents a system in which highly variable DNA markers, such as microsatellites, can accurately detect patterns of dispersal and fragmentation, providing a reliable description of relative levels of genetic distinctiveness.