Esox tiemani – Alberta
How old is Esox ?
Fossil evidence: 60+ million years for fish very similar to pike/muskellunge;
Genetic data: Present days species formed many, many millions of years ago - long before most recent glacial cycle.
The Role of Genetics in the
Conservation & Management
of Muskellunge in Ontario
(1) An assessment of genetic variation across the natural range.
(2) An assessment of genetic variation at a regional level – Georgian Bay and the North Channel.
Michael Butler
Watershed Ecosystems Graduate Program
Trent University
November 6, 2003
Esox tiemani – Alberta
How old is Esox ?
Fossil evidence: 60+ million years for fish very similar to pike/muskellunge;
Genetic data: Present days species formed many, many millions of years ago
- long before most recent glacial cycle.
What do “strains” represent?
Great Lakes
Kawarthas
Muskellunge Variation
Conflicting views:
-Three “subspecies” (Karvelis 1964);
-Two distinct species (Lebeau 1992);
-One highly variable species with little geographic structuring (Crossman 1986).