Applications of Allozyme Electrophoresis in Conservation Biology

Abstract The influence of allozyme electrophoresis on our understanding of the genetic structure of natural populations is difficult to overstate. Since it was first applied to population genetics in the mid 1960s, allozyme electrophoresis has been widely used in systematics, evolution, ecology, and conservation biology. A survey of recent papers indicates that allozyme electrophoresis is still the predominant tool used to address questions in conservation genetics (Figure 6-1). As other molecular approaches become more readily available, the relative importance of allozyme electrophoresis will decrease. However, because of its relatively low cost and ease of application, this technique will continue to be used in many studies.