Genetic variation among insular populations of the sleepy lizard Trachydosaurus rugosus Gray (Squamata: Scincidae)

Seven island populations of the sleepy lizard, Trachydosaurus rugosus, in South Australia were studied to establish the genetic effects of isolation. These effects were assessed by comparing genetic characteristics (using allozyme electrophoresis) of the island populations with those of three adjacent mainland populations. Heterozygosity levels did not vary significantly among the populations although the island populations exhibited reduced allelic diversity. Alleles that were rare on the mainland were not present in the island populations. Genetic divergence among the island populations was much greater than among populations on the mainland, reinforcing the notion that evolutionary forces, probably genetic drift, were greatest among the insular populations. This study demonstrates that the intra-specific component of variation can be significant, and that the importance of this component will increase with the fragmentation and isolation of populations. This finding serves to emphasise the importance of considering the population as the unit of conservation.