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Bonassin L, Pârvulescu L, Boštjančić LL, Francesconi C, Paetsch J, Rutz C, Lecompte O, Theissinger K. Genomic insights into the conservation status of the Idle Crayfish Austropotamobius bihariensis Pârvulescu, 2019: low genetic diversity in the endemic crayfish species of the Apuseni Mountains. BMC Ecol Evol 2024; 24:78. [PMID: 38862896 PMCID: PMC11165767 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-024-02268-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Biodiversity in freshwater ecosystems is declining due to an increased anthropogenic footprint. Freshwater crayfish are keystone species in freshwater ecosystems and play a crucial role in shaping the structure and function of their habitats. The Idle Crayfish Austropotamobius bihariensis is a native European species with a narrow distribution range, endemic to the Apuseni Mountains (Romania). Although its area is small, the populations are anthropogenically fragmented. In this context, the assessment of its conservation status is timely. RESULTS Using a reduced representation sequencing approach, we identified 4875 genomic SNPs from individuals belonging to 13 populations across the species distribution range. Subsequent population genomic analyses highlighted low heterozygosity levels, low number of private alleles and small effective population size. Our structuring analyses revealed that the genomic similarity of the populations is conserved within the river basins. CONCLUSION Genomic SNPs represented excellent tools to gain insights into intraspecific genomic diversity and population structure of the Idle Crayfish. Our study highlighted that the analysed populations are at risk due to their limited genetic diversity, which makes them extremely vulnerable to environmental alterations. Thus, our results emphasize the need for conservation measures and can be used as a baseline to establish species management programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Bonassin
- Department of Computer Science, Centre de Recherche en Biomédecine de Strasbourg, UMR 7357, University of Strasbourg, CNRS, Rue Eugène Boeckel 1, 67000, ICube, Strasbourg, France
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, Department of Molecular Ecology, Rhineland-Palatinate Technical University Kaiserslautern Landau, Fortstr. 7, 76829, Landau, Germany
| | - Lucian Pârvulescu
- Department of Biology-Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Biology, Geography, West University of Timisoara, Str. Pestalozzi 16A, 300115, Timisoara, Romania.
- Crayfish Research Centre, Institute for Advanced Environmental Research, West University of Timisoara, Oituz 4, 300086, Timisoara, Romania.
| | - Ljudevit Luka Boštjančić
- Department of Computer Science, Centre de Recherche en Biomédecine de Strasbourg, UMR 7357, University of Strasbourg, CNRS, Rue Eugène Boeckel 1, 67000, ICube, Strasbourg, France
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, Department of Molecular Ecology, Rhineland-Palatinate Technical University Kaiserslautern Landau, Fortstr. 7, 76829, Landau, Germany
| | - Caterina Francesconi
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, Department of Molecular Ecology, Rhineland-Palatinate Technical University Kaiserslautern Landau, Fortstr. 7, 76829, Landau, Germany
| | - Judith Paetsch
- Department of Biogeography, University of Trier, Behringstraße 21, D-54296, Geozentrum, Trier, Germany
| | - Christelle Rutz
- Department of Computer Science, Centre de Recherche en Biomédecine de Strasbourg, UMR 7357, University of Strasbourg, CNRS, Rue Eugène Boeckel 1, 67000, ICube, Strasbourg, France
| | - Odile Lecompte
- Department of Computer Science, Centre de Recherche en Biomédecine de Strasbourg, UMR 7357, University of Strasbourg, CNRS, Rue Eugène Boeckel 1, 67000, ICube, Strasbourg, France
| | - Kathrin Theissinger
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26, D-35392, Giessen, Germany
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Martínez-Ríos M, Martín-Torrijos L, Casabella-Herrero G, Tedesco P, Machordom A, Diéguez-Uribeondo J. On the conservation of white-clawed crayfish in the Iberian Peninsula: Unraveling its genetic diversity and structure, and origin. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0292679. [PMID: 37831691 PMCID: PMC10575519 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0292679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
European crayfish species are a clear example of the drastic decline that freshwater species are experiencing. In particular, the native species of the Iberian Peninsula, the white clawed-crayfish (WCC) Austropotamobius pallipes, is listed as "endangered" by the IUCN and included in Annex II of the EU Habitat Directive and requires especially attention. Currently, implemented conservation management strategies require a better understanding of the genetic diversity and phylogeographic patterns, as well as of its evolutionary history. For this purpose, we have generated the largest datasets of two informative ribosomal mitochondrial DNA regions, i.e., cytochrome oxidase subunit I and 16S, from selected populations of the WCC covering its geographical distribution. These datasets allowed us to analyze in detail the (i) genetic diversity and structure of WCC populations, and (ii) divergence times for Iberian populations by testing three evolutionary scenarios with different mtDNA substitution rates (low, intermediate, and high rates). The results indicate high levels of haplotype diversity and a complex geographical structure for WCC in the Iberian Peninsula. The diversity found includes new unique haplotypes from the Iberian Peninsula and reveals that most of the WCC genetic variability is concentrated in the northern and central-eastern regions. Despite the fact that molecular dating analyses provided divergence times that were not statistically supported, the proposed scenarios were congruent with previous studies, which related the origin of these populations with paleogeographic events during the Pleistocene, which suggests an Iberian origin for these WCC. All results generated in this study, indicate that the alternative hypothesis of an introduced origin of the Iberian WCC is highly improbable. The result of this study, therefore, has allowed us to better understand of the genetic diversity, structure patterns, and evolutionary history of the WCC in the Iberian Peninsula, which is crucial for the management and conservation needs of this endangered species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Perla Tedesco
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Ozzano dell’Emilia, Italy
| | - Annie Machordom
- Department of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
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Lovrenčić L, Temunović M, Bonassin L, Grandjean F, Austin CM, Maguire I. Climate change threatens unique genetic diversity within the Balkan biodiversity hotspot – The case of the endangered stone crayfish. Glob Ecol Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
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