Natural and artificial secondary contact in brown trout (Salmo trutta, L.) in the French western Pyrenees assessed by allozymes and microsatellites.

Analysis of allozyme polymorphism in brown trout (Salmo trutta) populations from south-western France shows that two genetically differentiated wild forms (characterized by the LDH-C1*100 and 90 alleles) introgress in this area. As allozymes could not evaluate the impact of stocking in the Atlantic basin, microsatellites have been necessary to detect the influence of hatchery fish and to confirm that the observed structure was natural. Microsatellites confirm the distinctness of the two wild forms based on allozyme loci. The situation provides a new example of secondary contact for this species in the Atlantic basin, with various levels of mixing being seen between the two population groups. The origin of these forms is discussed in the light of previous studies concerning modern and ancestral Atlantic trout (Hamilton et al, 1989) and lineages stemming from different glacial refuges (Garcia Marin et al, 1999; Weiss et al, 2000). This local analysis provides new insights in defining the evolutionary history of this species and confirms the important role of glaciation events in this history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]