The paper describes the preliminary results obtained using electrophoresis techniques to characterise genetically'two Phoenix species present in the Canary Islands. \- Electrophoretic techniques were used to asses the degree of genetic variation and genetic differentiation among the Canarian palm (Phoenh canariensis) and the date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) from Gran Canaria (Canary Islands). 24 putative alleles (from 12 loci) were interpreted from the isozyme banding patterns. The genetic variation, measured as polymorphism, number mean alleles per locus and heterozygosity, was higher for Phoenix canariensis populations. Three loci (SOD-2, EST-2 and PGM- 1) were exclusive of the canarian palm populations, indicating that they can be used as diagnostic loci to differentiate both species

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