Population structure and phylogeographyof four freshwater species in southeast Queensland, Australia

Source: Griffith University thesis
"Freshwater species are expected to show higher levels of genetic structuring than those inhabiting estuarine or marine environments because it is difficult for freshwater species to move between river systems. However, freshwater species that exhibit some tolerance to salt water may be capable of marine dispersal and therefore may show lower levels of genetic structuring. The species that are restricted to freshwater are likely to have genetic structures that reflect the history of those drainages. Various studies have attempted to use genetic data to infer past geomorphological changes. For example, stream rearrangements were thought to have influenced the distribution of genetic diversity in the purple spotted Gudgeon, Morgunda morgunda (Hurwood and Hughes, 1998). The main aim of this study was to resolve the relative significance of contemporary and historical events in structuring populations of freshwater species in southeast Queensland river systems."