Abstract. DNA fingerprinting was used to compare levels of genetic variation among 75 wild Hawaiian Geese, or Nene {Branta sandvicensis), from six populations on the islands of Hawaii, Maui, and Kauai and between the six wild populations and a captive colony of 29 Nene. Mantel tests were used to determine differences in similarity coefficient distributions (amount of genetic similarity among individuals within each population) among wild Nene and between wild and captive Nene. Nene from Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the island of Hawaii had the lowest similarity coefficient distribution, whereas Nene on Kauai had the highest. Captive birds had an intermediate similarity coefficient distribution when compared to wild populations. No unique DNA fingerprint fragments were found in wild birds when compared to captive birds. Successful recruitment of migrants might have decreased similarity at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, whereas inbreeding and captiverelease techniques might have increased similarity on Kauai. Varying levels of inbreeding or fixation by drift might explain differences in similarity coefficient distributions between wild and captive populations.
DNA fingerprinting was used to assess levels of genetic variation in 106 Hawaiian Geese, or Nene (Branta sandvicensis), from two captive colonies in Hawaii and Stimbrtdgg England Mantel tests were used to determine differences in mean similarity coefficients obtained from DNA flngerprints between unrelated and related Nene within and between captive colonies and to determine whether pedigree-based estimates of relatedness correlated with DNA fingerprint-based estimateg Betzveen colonieg mean similarity coefficients for unrelated and related Slimbridge Nene were higher than those for Hawaiian Nen~ Within each colony, related Nene had higher mean similarity coefficients than did unrelated Nene. A positive relationship was found between coancestry coefficients and similarity coefficient¢ A greater number of founders for the Hawaiian colony con-
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