Abstract

Annona deceptrix is an endemic species found on the Ecuadorian coast, and its vulnerable status is attributed to the degradation of its ecological niches caused by human activities. This species exhibits desirable agronomic traits with potential use for genetic improvement. The purpose of this study was to unveil the genetic diversity and population structure of 106 individuals from 11 natural populations of A. deceptrix in the province of Manab & iacute; using 18 specific simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. Overall, a moderate level of genetic diversity (He = 0.445) was found. The AD8, AD5, AD6, AD10 and AD1 markers were the most informative for A. deceptrix. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed that 65% of the total genetic diversity was within individuals and 11% of genetic variation was attributable to the differentiation among populations. Low fixation index (Fst = 0) and moderate gene flow (Nm = 1.159), thereby indicating no genetic differentiation among populations. In addition, a null correlation between geographic and genetic distances among populations (R-2 = 0.007; p = 0.02) was detected by the Mantel test, indicating no significant isolation by distance. These findings are novel and have a great impact to begin planning conservation strategies for A. deceptrix considering that it is an endemic species, threatened by anthropogenic activity and has received very little research attention. In this sense, we suggest that the strategies should focus on populations such as Humedad, Agua Blanca, and Tachina, since they were those with the greatest diversity and number of private alleles.