Comparative analysis of intra- and interpopulation genetic diversity in Bufo bufo, using allozyme, single-locus microsatellite, minisatellite, and multilocus minisatellite data.

Estimates of genetic diversity within, and of variation among, semi-isolated populations of the common toad (Bufo bufo) were derived and compared across four classes of nuclear genetic markers, including allozymes, microsatellites, and single and multilocus minisatellites. Estimates of multilocus heterozygosity and the number of alleles per locus derived from allozymes were lower than for each class of variable number of tandem repeat (VNTR) markers. The degree of interpopulation genetic divergence as determined by genetic distance was generally concordant across all markers, although interpopulation variance in allozyme allele frequency (as measure by F-statistics) was greater than that documented for each VNTR locus. For both classes of VNTR loci, migration appeared to have less influence than mutation on the extent of interpopulation divergence. Analyses suggest that singly and multiply detected VNTR loci may be highly informative for population-level analyses addressing questions concerning population subdivision and breeding structure.