Genetic diversity in see-see partridge (Ammoperdix griseogularis, Galliformes) populations from sub-Himalayan Mountain ranges of Pakistan

We used Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers to investigate the genetic structure of two populations of see-see partridge (Ammoperdix griseogularis, Galliformes) from the Suleiman range, in the Pakistani Himalayan region. The see-see partridge is a vulnerable species with a distribution in the Middle East and central Asia. The percentage of polymorphic bands (94.05\%), Shannon Index (H=0.455) and Nei's average gene diversity (I(N)=0.298) of A. griseogularis at species level were rather high when compared with other avian species. 17\% of polymorphic loci showed statistically significant differences in their allelic frequencies. The G(ST) (Nei's coefficient of genetic variation) values indicated low levels of differentiation (G(ST)=0.08). A genetic distance D of 0.05 indicated that both populations were to some degree in isolation but their differentiation was not significant. Overall, our genetic data can support action plans aiming to locally preserve differentiated genetic resources that, in the future, could potentially result in ecologically and behaviourally differentiated populations. In view of the rapid environmental changes that the Himalayan region has been experiencing in the last decade, this study could help in conservation plans.