Monarch butterfly populations have plummeted over the last two decades, especially in western north
America. While the underlying reasons are not fully understood, one probable cause is habitat destruction
leading to a loss of native milkweeds, the only food source for monarch caterpillars. For years there was no seed
set among the milkweeds within the Benard Field Station of the Claremont College. Plausible reasons for this
include a loss of genetic diversity due to the small population size due to habitat fragmentation. In order to
investigate the genetic diversity of our local milkweeds, we (1) collected woollypod milkweed, Asclepias
eriocarpa, leaves from the Bernard Field Station and the nearby Claremont Hill Wilderness Park, (2) identified
five microsatellites (originally identified in Asclepias syriaca) which amplified by PCR and had multiple alleles,
and (3) optimized DNA extraction techniques and PCR protocols for use in an introductory genetics lab. In the
fall of 2023, 107 students each extracted DNA from a leaf, took measurements of the DNA quality, and set up
two PCRs to amplify the five microsatellites. These were sent out for fluorescent gel electrophoresis. In a
subsequent lab, students determined the genotypes from their leaves. Subsequent analysis is currently pending.
This demonstrates a successful effort to bring an authentic ecological genetics research question into an
introductory teaching lab.
Keywords:
University of Maryland (2024)
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