Molecular Data for the Sea Turtle Population in Brazil

Abstract

We report here a dataset comprising nine nuclear markers for the Brazilian population of Cheloniidae turtles: hawksbills ( Eretmochelys imbricata ), loggerheads ( Caretta caretta ), olive ridleys ( Lepidochelys olivacea ), and green turtles ( Chelonia mydas ). Because hybridization is a common phenomenon between the four Cheloniidae species nesting on the Brazilian coast, we also report molecular markers for the hybrids E. imbricata × C. caretta, C. caretta × L. olivacea, and E. imbricata × L. olivacea and for one hybrid E. imbricata × C. mydas and one between three species C. mydas × E. imbricata × C. caretta . The data was used in previous studies concerning (1) the description of frequent hybrids C. caretta × E. imbricata in Brazil, (2) the report of introgression in some of these hybrids, and (3) population genetics. As a next step for the study of these hybrids and their evolution, genome-wide studies will be performed in the Brazilian population of E. imbricata, C. caretta , and their hybrids.