Genetic Relationships among Populations of Alaskan Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)

Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) collected from 13 Alaskan drainages were genetically characterized at 28 protein coding loci using starch–gel electrophoresis. Chinook salmon in western Alaska are generally quite similar to each other but are distinct from the more diverse southeastern Alaskan populations. Genetic compositions of southeastern Alaskan populations are generally intermediate between those of western Alaska and previously studied non-Alaskan populations to the south. Given that chinook salmon survived the Wisconsin glaciation in both the Bering and Pacific refuges, we propose that chinook salmon from both refuges participated in the post-Wisconsin colonization of southeastern Alaskan rivers.