Medemia argun is a wild, dioecious palm, adapted to the harsh arid environment of the Nubian Desert in Sudan and southern Egypt. There is a concern about its conservation status, since little is known about its distribution, abundance and genetic variation. M. argun grows on the floodplains of seasonal rivers (wadis). The continuing loss of suitable habitats in the Nubian Desert is threatening the survival of this species. We analyzed the genetic diversity, population genetic structure and occurrence of M. argun populations to foster the development of conservation strategies for M. argun. Genotyping-by-sequencing analyses were performed using a whole genome profiling service. We found an overall low genetic diversity and moderate genetic structuring based on 40 SNP (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms) and 9866 SilicoDArT markers. The expected heterozygosity of the total population (HT) equaled 0.036 and 0.127, and genetic differentiation among populations/groups (FST) was 0.052 and 0.092, based on SNP and SilicoDArT markers, respectively. Bayesian clustering analyses defined five genetic clusters that did not display any ancestral gene flow among each other. Based on SilicoDArT markers, the results of the analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) confirmed the previously observed genetic differentiation among generation groups (23%; p<0.01). Pairwise FST values indicated a genetic gap between old and young individuals. The observed low genetic diversity, and its loss among generation groups, even under the detected high gene flow, show genetically vulnerable M. argun populations in the Nubian Desert in Sudan. To enrich and maintain genetic variability in these populations, conservation plans are required, include collection of seed material from genetically diverse populations and development of ex situ gene banks.

中文翻译：

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Medemia argun (Mart.) Wurttenb 的遗传多样性和种群结构。前 H.Wendl。基于全基因组标记

Medemia argun 是一种野生的雌雄异株的棕榈树，适应了苏丹和埃及南部努比亚沙漠的恶劣干旱环境。人们对其保护状况表示担忧，因为对其分布、丰度和遗传变异知之甚少。M. argun 生长在季节性河流 (wadis) 的泛滥平原上。努比亚沙漠适宜栖息地的持续丧失正威胁着该物种的生存。我们分析了 M. argun 种群的遗传多样性、种群遗传结构和发生情况，以促进 M. argun 保护策略的发展。使用全基因组分析服务进行基因分型测序分析。我们发现基于 40 个 SNP（单核苷酸多态性）和 9866 个 SilicoDArT 标记的总体低遗传多样性和中等遗传结构。基于 SNP 和 SilicoDArT 标记，总群体 (HT) 的预期杂合度分别为 0.036 和 0.127，群体/群体之间的遗传分化 (FST) 分别为 0.052 和 0.092。贝叶斯聚类分析定义了五个遗传簇，它们之间没有显示任何祖先基因流。基于 SilicoDArT 标记，分子方差分析 (AMOVA) 的结果证实了先前观察到的世代组之间的遗传分化（23%；p<0.01）。成对 FST 值表明老年人和年轻人之间存在遗传差距。观察到的低遗传多样性及其在世代群体中的损失，即使在检测到的高基因流下，也表明苏丹努比亚沙漠中的 M. argun 种群具有遗传脆弱性。为了丰富和维持这些种群的遗传变异性，