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Hogg CJ, Edwards RJ, Farquharson KA, Silver LW, Brandies P, Peel E, Escalona M, Jaya FR, Thavornkanlapachai R, Batley K, Bradford TM, Chang JK, Chen Z, Deshpande N, Dziminski M, Ewart KM, Griffith OW, Marin Gual L, Moon KL, Travouillon KJ, Waters P, Whittington CM, Wilkins MR, Helgen KM, Lo N, Ho SYW, Ruiz Herrera A, Paltridge R, Marshall Graves JA, Renfree M, Shapiro B, Ottewell K, Belov K. Extant and extinct bilby genomes combined with Indigenous knowledge improve conservation of a unique Australian marsupial. Nat Ecol Evol 2024:10.1038/s41559-024-02436-2. [PMID: 38945974 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-024-02436-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Ninu (greater bilby, Macrotis lagotis) are desert-dwelling, culturally and ecologically important marsupials. In collaboration with Indigenous rangers and conservation managers, we generated the Ninu chromosome-level genome assembly (3.66 Gbp) and genome sequences for the extinct Yallara (lesser bilby, Macrotis leucura). We developed and tested a scat single-nucleotide polymorphism panel to inform current and future conservation actions, undertake ecological assessments and improve our understanding of Ninu genetic diversity in managed and wild populations. We also assessed the beneficial impact of translocations in the metapopulation (N = 363 Ninu). Resequenced genomes (temperate Ninu, 6; semi-arid Ninu, 6; and Yallara, 4) revealed two major population crashes during global cooling events for both species and differences in Ninu genes involved in anatomical and metabolic pathways. Despite their 45-year captive history, Ninu have fewer long runs of homozygosity than other larger mammals, which may be attributable to their boom-bust life history. Here we investigated the unique Ninu biology using 12 tissue transcriptomes revealing expression of all 115 conserved eutherian chorioallantoic placentation genes in the uterus, an XY1Y2 sex chromosome system and olfactory receptor gene expansions. Together, we demonstrate the holistic value of genomics in improving key conservation actions, understanding unique biological traits and developing tools for Indigenous rangers to monitor remote wild populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn J Hogg
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
| | - Richard J Edwards
- Minderoo OceanOmics Centre at UWA, Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Katherine A Farquharson
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Luke W Silver
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Parice Brandies
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Emma Peel
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Merly Escalona
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Frederick R Jaya
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Rujiporn Thavornkanlapachai
- Biodiversity and Conservation Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Kensington, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Kimberley Batley
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Tessa M Bradford
- Evolutionary Biology Unit, South Australian Museum, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - J King Chang
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | | | - Nandan Deshpande
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Ramaciotti Centre for Genomics and School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Science, UNSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Martin Dziminski
- Biodiversity and Conservation Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Kensington, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Kyle M Ewart
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Oliver W Griffith
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Laia Marin Gual
- Departament de Biologia Cel·lular, Fisiologia i Immunologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
- Genome Integrity and Instability Group, Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - Katherine L Moon
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Kenny J Travouillon
- Collections and Research, Western Australian Museum, Welshpool, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Paul Waters
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Camilla M Whittington
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Marc R Wilkins
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Ramaciotti Centre for Genomics and School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Science, UNSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Kristofer M Helgen
- Australian Museum Research Institute, Australian Museum, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Nathan Lo
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Simon Y W Ho
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Aurora Ruiz Herrera
- Departament de Biologia Cel·lular, Fisiologia i Immunologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
- Genome Integrity and Instability Group, Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - Rachel Paltridge
- Indigenous Desert Alliance, Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia
| | | | - Marilyn Renfree
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Beth Shapiro
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Kym Ottewell
- Biodiversity and Conservation Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Kensington, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Katherine Belov
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Cavill EL, Morales HE, Sun X, Westbury MV, van Oosterhout C, Accouche W, Zora A, Schulze MJ, Shah N, Adam P, Brooke MDL, Sweet P, Gopalakrishnan S, Gilbert MTP. When birds of a feather flock together: Severe genomic erosion and the implications for genetic rescue in an endangered island passerine. Evol Appl 2024; 17:e13739. [PMID: 38948538 PMCID: PMC11212007 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The Seychelles magpie-robin's (SMR) five island populations exhibit some of the lowest recorded levels of genetic diversity among endangered birds, and high levels of inbreeding. These populations collapsed during the 20th century, and the species was listed as Critically Endangered in the IUCN Red List in 1994. An assisted translocation-for-recovery program initiated in the 1990s increased the number of mature individuals, resulting in its downlisting to Endangered in 2005. Here, we explore the temporal genomic erosion of the SMR based on a dataset of 201 re-sequenced whole genomes that span the past ~150 years. Our sample set includes individuals that predate the bottleneck by up to 100 years, as well as individuals from contemporary populations established during the species recovery program. Despite the SMR's recent demographic recovery, our data reveal a marked increase in both the genetic load and realized load in the extant populations when compared to the historical samples. Conservation management may have reduced the intensity of selection by increasing juvenile survival and relaxing intraspecific competition between individuals, resulting in the accumulation of loss-of-function mutations (i.e. severely deleterious variants) in the rapidly recovering population. In addition, we found a 3-fold decrease in genetic diversity between temporal samples. While the low genetic diversity in modern populations may limit the species' adaptability to future environmental changes, future conservation efforts (including IUCN assessments) may also need to assess the threats posed by their high genetic load. Our computer simulations highlight the value of translocations for genetic rescue and show how this could halt genomic erosion in threatened species such as the SMR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily L. Cavill
- The Globe Institute, University of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
| | | | - Xin Sun
- The Globe Institute, University of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
| | | | - Cock van Oosterhout
- School of Environmental SciencesUniversity of East Anglia, Norwich Research ParkNorwichUK
| | | | - Anna Zora
- Fregate Island Sanctuary LtdVictoriaSeychelles
| | | | | | | | | | - Paul Sweet
- American Museum of Natural HistoryNew YorkUSA
| | | | - M. Thomas P. Gilbert
- The Globe Institute, University of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
- University Museum, Norwegian University of Science and TechnologyTrondheimNorway
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3
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Wang Y, Yang Y, Han Z, Li J, Luo J, Yang H, Kuang J, Wu D, Wang S, Tso S, Ju T, Liu J, Renner SS, Kangshan M. Efficient purging of deleterious mutations contributes to the survival of a rare conifer. HORTICULTURE RESEARCH 2024; 11:uhae108. [PMID: 38883334 PMCID: PMC11179848 DOI: 10.1093/hr/uhae108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
Cupressaceae is a conifer family rich in plants of horticultural importance, including Cupressus, Chamaecyparis, Juniperus, and Thuja, yet genomic surveys are lacking for this family. Cupressus gigantea, one of the many rare conifers that are threatened by climate change and anthropogenic habitat fragmentation, plays an ever-increasing role in ecotourism in Tibet. To infer how past climate change has shaped the population evolution of this species, we generated a de novo chromosome-scale genome (10.92 Gb) and compared the species' population history and genetic load with that of a widespread close relative, C. duclouxiana. Our demographic analyses, based on 83 re-sequenced individuals from multiple populations of the two species, revealed a sharp decline of population sizes during the first part of the Quaternary. However, populations of C. duclouxiana then started to recover, while C. gigantea populations continued to decrease until recently. The total genomic diversity of C. gigantea is smaller than that of C. duclouxiana, but contrary to expectations, C. gigantea has fewer highly and mildly deleterious mutations than C. duclouxiana, and simulations and statistical tests support purifying selection during prolonged inbreeding as the explanation. Our results highlight the evolutionary consequences of decreased population size on the genetic burden of a long-lived endangered conifer with large genome size and suggest that genetic purging deserves more attention in conservation management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Wang
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, Sichuan Zoige Alpine Wetland Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, College of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Yongzhi Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Zhitong Han
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, Sichuan Zoige Alpine Wetland Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, College of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Jialiang Li
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, Sichuan Zoige Alpine Wetland Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, College of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Jian Luo
- Xizang Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology in Plateau Area of Ministry of Education, National Key Station of Field Scientific Observation & Experiment of Alpine Forest Ecology System in Nyingchi, Research Institute of Xizang Plateau Ecology, Xizang Agriculture & Animal Husbandry University, Nyingchi 860000, China
| | - Heng Yang
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, Sichuan Zoige Alpine Wetland Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, College of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Jingge Kuang
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, Sichuan Zoige Alpine Wetland Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, College of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Dayu Wu
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, Sichuan Zoige Alpine Wetland Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, College of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Shiyang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, Sichuan Zoige Alpine Wetland Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, College of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Sonam Tso
- School of Ecology and Environment, Tibet University, Lhasa 850000, China
| | - Tsam Ju
- School of Ecology and Environment, Tibet University, Lhasa 850000, China
| | - Jianquan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, Sichuan Zoige Alpine Wetland Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, College of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Susanne S Renner
- Department of Biology, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Mao Kangshan
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, Sichuan Zoige Alpine Wetland Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, College of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
- School of Ecology and Environment, Tibet University, Lhasa 850000, China
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4
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Paijmans AJ, Berthelsen AL, Nagel R, Christaller F, Kröcker N, Forcada J, Hoffman JI. Little evidence of inbreeding depression for birth mass, survival and growth in Antarctic fur seal pups. Sci Rep 2024; 14:12610. [PMID: 38824161 PMCID: PMC11144264 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-62290-x] [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: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Inbreeding depression, the loss of offspring fitness due to consanguineous mating, is generally detrimental for individual performance and population viability. We investigated inbreeding effects in a declining population of Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella) at Bird Island, South Georgia. Here, localised warming has reduced the availability of the seal's staple diet, Antarctic krill, leading to a temporal increase in the strength of selection against inbred offspring, which are increasingly failing to recruit into the adult breeding population. However, it remains unclear whether selection operates before or after nutritional independence at weaning. We therefore used microsatellite data from 885 pups and their mothers, and SNP array data from 98 mother-offspring pairs, to quantify the effects of individual and maternal inbreeding on three important neonatal fitness traits: birth mass, survival and growth. We did not find any clear or consistent effects of offspring or maternal inbreeding on any of these traits. This suggests that selection filters inbred individuals out of the population as juveniles during the time window between weaning and recruitment. Our study brings into focus a poorly understood life-history stage and emphasises the importance of understanding the ecology and threats facing juvenile pinnipeds.
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Affiliation(s)
- A J Paijmans
- Department of Evolutionary Population Genetics, Bielefeld University, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany.
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, 33501, Bielefeld, Germany.
| | - A L Berthelsen
- Department of Evolutionary Population Genetics, Bielefeld University, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, 33501, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - R Nagel
- Department of Evolutionary Population Genetics, Bielefeld University, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, 33501, Bielefeld, Germany
- Centre for Biological Diversity, University of St. Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9TH, UK
| | - F Christaller
- Department of Evolutionary Population Genetics, Bielefeld University, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, 33501, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - N Kröcker
- Department of Evolutionary Population Genetics, Bielefeld University, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, 33501, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - J Forcada
- British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 OET, UK
| | - J I Hoffman
- Department of Evolutionary Population Genetics, Bielefeld University, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, 33501, Bielefeld, Germany
- British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 OET, UK
- Joint Institute for Individualisation in a Changing Environment (JICE), Bielefeld University and University of Münster, Bielefeld, Germany
- Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Faculty of Biology, Bielefeld University, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
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Kardos M, Waples RS. Low-coverage sequencing and Wahlund effect severely bias estimates of inbreeding, heterozygosity and effective population size in North American wolves. Mol Ecol 2024:e17415. [PMID: 38785346 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Revised: 05/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
vonHoldt et al. ((2024), Molecular Ecology, 33, e17231) (vH24) used low-coverage (average ~ 7X read depth) restriction site-associated DNA sequence data to estimate individual inbreeding and heterozygosity, and recent effective population size (Ne), in Great Lakes (GL) and Northern Rocky Mountain (RM) wolves. They concluded that RM heterozygosity rapidly declined between 1991 and 2020, and that Ne declined substantially in GL and RM over the last 50 generations. Here, we evaluate the effects of low sequence coverage and sampling strategy on vH24's findings and provide general recommendations for using sequence data to evaluate inbreeding, heterozygosity and Ne. Low-coverage sequencing resulted in downwardly biased estimates of individual inbreeding and heterozygosity, and an erroneous large temporal decline in RM heterozygosity due to declining read depth through time. Additionally, vH24's sampling strategy-which combined individuals from several genetically differentiated populations and across at least eight wolf generations-is expected to have resulted in severe downward bias in estimates of recent Ne for RM. We recommend using high-coverage sequence data (≥ $$ \ge $$ 15-20X) to estimate inbreeding and heterozygosity. Carefully filtering individuals, loci and genotypes, and using genotype imputation or likelihoods can help to minimise bias when low-coverage sequence data must be used. For estimation of contemporary Ne, the marginal benefits of using more than 103-104 loci are small, so aggressive filtering of loci with low average read depth potentially can retain most individuals without sacrificing much precision. Individuals are relatively more valuable than loci because analyses of contemporary Ne should focus on roughly single-generation samples from local breeding populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marty Kardos
- Conservation Biology Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Robin S Waples
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
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Hewett AM, Johnston SE, Morris A, Morris S, Pemberton JM. Genetic architecture of inbreeding depression may explain its persistence in a population of wild red deer. Mol Ecol 2024; 33:e17335. [PMID: 38549143 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17335] [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: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Inbreeding depression is of major concern in declining populations, but relatively little is known about its genetic architecture in wild populations, such as the degree to which it is composed of large or small effect loci and their distribution throughout the genome. Here, we combine fitness and genomic data from a wild population of red deer to investigate the genomic distribution of inbreeding effects. Based on the runs of homozygosity (ROH)-based inbreeding coefficient, FROH, we use chromosome-specific inbreeding coefficients (FROHChr) to explore whether the effect of inbreeding varies between chromosomes. Under the assumption that within an individual the probability of being identical-by-descent is equal across all chromosomes, we used a multi-membership model to estimate the deviation of FROHChr from the average inbreeding effect. This novel approach ensures effect sizes are not overestimated whilst maximising the power of our available dataset of >3000 individuals genotyped on >35,000 autosomal SNPs. We find that most chromosomes confer a minor reduction in fitness-related traits, which when these effects are summed, results in the observed inbreeding depression in birth weight, survival and lifetime breeding success. However, no chromosomes had a significant detrimental effect compared to the overall effect of inbreeding, indicating no major effect loci. We conclude that in this population, inbreeding depression is likely the result of multiple mildly or moderately deleterious mutations spread across all chromosomes, which are difficult to detect with statistical confidence. Such mutations will be inefficiently purged, which may explain the persistence of inbreeding depression in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna M Hewett
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Susan E Johnston
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Alison Morris
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Sean Morris
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Josephine M Pemberton
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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Otalora K, Riera JL, Tavecchia G, Rotger A, Igual JM, Trotta JP, Baldo L. Population genetics and phylogeographic history of the insular lizard Podarcis lilfordi (Gunther, 1874) from the Balearic Islands based on genome-wide polymorphic data. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11407. [PMID: 38799398 PMCID: PMC11116764 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Islands provide a great system to explore the processes that maintain genetic diversity and promote local adaptation. We explored the genomic diversity of the Balearic lizard Podarcis lilfordi, an endemic species characterized by numerous small insular populations with large phenotypic diversity. Using the newly available genome for this species, we characterized more than 300,000 SNPs, merging genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) data with previously published restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RAD-Seq) data, providing a dataset of 16 island populations (191 individuals) across the range of species distribution (Menorca, Mallorca, and Cabrera). Results indicate that each islet hosts a well-differentiated population (F ST = 0.247 ± 0.09), with no recent immigration/translocation events. Contrary to expectations, most populations harbor a considerable genetic diversity (mean nucleotide diversity, P i = 0.144 ± 0.021), characterized by overall low inbreeding values (F IS < 0.1). While the genetic diversity significantly decreased with decreasing islet surface, maintenance of substantial genetic diversity even in tiny islets suggests variable selection or other mechanisms that buffer genetic drift. Maximum-likelihood tree based on concatenated SNP data confirmed the existence of the two major independent lineages of Menorca and Mallorca/Cabrera. Multiple lines of evidence, including admixture and root testing, robustly placed the origin of the species in the Mallorca Island, rather than in Menorca. Outlier analysis mainly retrieved a strong signature of genome differentiation between the two major archipelagos, especially in the sexual chromosome Z. A set of proteins were target of multiple outliers and primarily associated with binding and catalytic activity, providing interesting candidates for future selection studies. This study provides the framework to explore crucial aspects of the genetic basis of phenotypic divergence and insular adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherin Otalora
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Biology FacultyUniversity of Barcelona (UB)BarcelonaSpain
- Fundación FUNMAJO, EBA, RAIEC, Biodiversity BranchTunjaBoyacáColombia
| | - Joan Lluís Riera
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Biology FacultyUniversity of Barcelona (UB)BarcelonaSpain
| | - Giacomo Tavecchia
- Animal Demography and Ecology Unit (GEDA‐IMEDEA, CSIC‐UIB)EsporlesSpain
| | - Andreu Rotger
- Animal Demography and Ecology Unit (GEDA‐IMEDEA, CSIC‐UIB)EsporlesSpain
| | - José Manuel Igual
- Animal Demography and Ecology Unit (GEDA‐IMEDEA, CSIC‐UIB)EsporlesSpain
| | - Jean‐Remi Paul Trotta
- CNAG‐CRG, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG)Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST)BarcelonaSpain
| | - Laura Baldo
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Biology FacultyUniversity of Barcelona (UB)BarcelonaSpain
- Institute for Research on Biodiversity (IRBio)University of Barcelona (UB)BarcelonaSpain
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Leblanc CA, Räsänen K, Morrissey M, Skúlason S, Ferguson M, Kristjánsson BK. Fine scale diversity in the lava: genetic and phenotypic diversity in small populations of Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus. BMC Ecol Evol 2024; 24:45. [PMID: 38622503 PMCID: PMC11017478 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-024-02232-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A major goal in evolutionary biology is to understand the processes underlying phenotypic variation in nature. Commonly, studies have focused on large interconnected populations or populations found along strong environmental gradients. However, studies on small fragmented populations can give strong insight into evolutionary processes in relation to discrete ecological factors. Evolution in small populations is believed to be dominated by stochastic processes, but recent work shows that small populations can also display adaptive phenotypic variation, through for example plasticity and rapid adaptive evolution. Such evolution takes place even though there are strong signs of historical bottlenecks and genetic drift. Here we studied 24 small populations of the freshwater fish Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) found in groundwater filled lava caves. Those populations were found within a few km2-area with no apparent water connections between them. We studied the relative contribution of neutral versus non-neutral evolutionary processes in shaping phenotypic divergence, by contrasting patterns of phenotypic and neutral genetic divergence across populations in relation to environmental measurements. This allowed us to model the proportion of phenotypic variance explained by the environment, taking in to account the observed neutral genetic structure. RESULTS These populations originated from the nearby Lake Mývatn, and showed small population sizes with low genetic diversity. Phenotypic variation was mostly correlated with neutral genetic diversity with only a small environmental effect. CONCLUSIONS Phenotypic diversity in these cave populations appears to be largely the product of neutral processes, fitting the classical evolutionary expectations. However, the fact that neutral processes did not explain fully the phenotypic patterns suggests that further studies can increase our understanding on how neutral evolutionary processes can interact with other forces of selection at early stages of divergence. The accessibility of these populations has provided the opportunity for long-term monitoring of individual fish, allowing tracking how the environment can influence phenotypic and genetic divergence for shaping and maintaining diversity in small populations. Such studies are important, especially in freshwater, as habitat alteration is commonly breaking populations into smaller units, which may or may not be viable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille A Leblanc
- Department of Aquaculture and Fish Biology, Hólar University, Sauðárkrókur, Iceland.
| | - Katja Räsänen
- Department of Biology and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | | | - Skúli Skúlason
- Department of Aquaculture and Fish Biology, Hólar University, Sauðárkrókur, Iceland
- Icelandic Museum of Natural History, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Moira Ferguson
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
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9
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Alanzor Puente JM, Pons Barro ÁL, González Ariza A, Martínez Martínez MDA, Delgado Bermejo JV, Navas González FJ. Integrated Discriminant Evaluation of Molecular Genetic Markers and Genetic Diversity Parameters of Endangered Balearic Dog Breeds. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2706. [PMID: 38473952 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25052706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2024] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The genetic diversity analysis of six dog breeds, including Ca de Bestiar (CB), Ca de Bou (CBOU), Podenco Ibicenco (PI), Ca Rater (CR), Ca Mè (CM), and Ca de Conills (CC), reveals insightful findings. CB showcases the highest mean number of alleles (6.17) and heterozygosity values, with significant deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) observed in five markers, indicating high intra-racial genetic diversity (average observed heterozygosity (Ho) = 0.754, expected heterozygosity (He) = 0.761). In contrast, CBOU presents the lowest mean number of alleles (5.05) and heterozygosity values, coupled with moderate polymorphic information content (PIC) values and a moderate level of intra-racial genetic diversity (average Ho = 0.313, He = 0.394). PI demonstrates moderate genetic diversity with an average of 5.75 alleles and highly informative PIC values, while CR displays robust genetic diversity with an average of 6.61 alleles and deviations from equilibrium, indicating potential risks of inbreeding (average Ho = 0.563, He = 0.658). CM exhibits moderate genetic diversity and deviations from equilibrium, similar to CBOU, with an average of 6.5 alleles and moderate PIC values (average Ho = 0.598, He = 0.676). Conversely, CC shows a wider range of allelic diversity and deviations from equilibrium (average Ho = 0.611, He = 0.706), suggesting a more diverse genetic background. Inter-racial analysis underscores distinct genetic differentiation between breeds, emphasizing the importance of informed breeding decisions and proactive genetic management strategies to preserve diversity, promote breed health, and ensure long-term sustainability across all breeds studied.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Manuel Alanzor Puente
- Institut de Reserca i Formaciò Agroalimentaria de les Illes Balears IRFAP, Conselleria d'Agricultura, Pesca i Alimentació, Govern Illes Balears, 07009 Palma, Spain
| | - Águeda Laura Pons Barro
- Institut de Reserca i Formaciò Agroalimentaria de les Illes Balears IRFAP, Conselleria d'Agricultura, Pesca i Alimentació, Govern Illes Balears, 07009 Palma, Spain
| | - Antonio González Ariza
- Centro Agropecuario Provincial de Córdoba, Diputación Provincial de Córdoba, 14014 Córdoba, Spain
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10
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Talavera A, Palmada-Flores M, Burriel-Carranza B, Valbuena-Ureña E, Mochales-Riaño G, Adams DC, Tejero-Cicuéndez H, Soler-Membrives A, Amat F, Guinart D, Carbonell F, Obon E, Marquès-Bonet T, Carranza S. Genomic insights into the Montseny brook newt ( Calotriton arnoldi), a Critically Endangered glacial relict. iScience 2024; 27:108665. [PMID: 38226169 PMCID: PMC10788218 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2024] Open
Abstract
The Montseny brook newt (Calotriton arnoldi), considered the most endangered amphibian in Europe, is a relict salamandrid species endemic to a small massif located in northeastern Spain. Although conservation efforts should always be guided by genomic studies, those are yet scarce among urodeles, hampered by the extreme sizes of their genomes. Here, we present the third available genome assembly for the order Caudata, and the first genomic study of the species and its sister taxon, the Pyrenean brook newt (Calotriton asper), combining whole-genome and ddRADseq data. Our results reveal significant demographic oscillations which accurately mirrored Europe's climatic history. Although severe bottlenecks have led to depauperate genomic diversity and long runs of homozygosity along a gigantic genome, inbreeding might have been avoided by assortative mating strategies. Other life history traits, however, seem to have been less advantageous, and the lack of land dispersal has driven to exceptional levels of population fragmentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrián Talavera
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marc Palmada-Flores
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Bernat Burriel-Carranza
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain
- Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona, Pº Picasso s/n, Parc Ciutadella, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | | | | | - Dean C. Adams
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50010, USA
| | - Héctor Tejero-Cicuéndez
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Anna Soler-Membrives
- Departament de Biologia Animal, de Biologia Vegetal i d'Ecologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Fèlix Amat
- Àrea d’Herpetologia, BiBIO, Museu de Granollers – Ciències Naturals. Palaudàries 102, Granollers, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Daniel Guinart
- Servei de Gestió de Parcs Naturals, Diputació de Barcelona, Spain
| | - Francesc Carbonell
- Centre de fauna salvatge de Torreferrussa (Forestal Catalana, SA), Santa Perpètua de Mogoda, Spain
| | - Elena Obon
- Centre de fauna salvatge de Torreferrussa (Forestal Catalana, SA), Santa Perpètua de Mogoda, Spain
| | - Tomàs Marquès-Bonet
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain
- CNAG-CRG, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
- Catalan Institution of Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Salvador Carranza
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain
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11
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Kurland S, Saha A, Keehnen N, de la Paz Celorio-Mancera M, Díez-Del-Molino D, Ryman N, Laikre L. New indicators for monitoring genetic diversity applied to alpine brown trout populations using whole genome sequence data. Mol Ecol 2024; 33:e17213. [PMID: 38014725 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17213] [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: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
International policy recently adopted commitments to maintain genetic diversity in wild populations to secure their adaptive potential, including metrics to monitor temporal trends in genetic diversity - so-called indicators. A national programme for assessing trends in genetic diversity was recently initiated in Sweden. Relating to this effort, we systematically assess contemporary genome-wide temporal trends (40 years) in wild populations using the newly adopted indicators and whole genome sequencing (WGS). We use pooled and individual WGS data from brown trout (Salmo trutta) in eight alpine lakes in protected areas. Observed temporal trends in diversity metrics (nucleotide diversity, Watterson's ϴ and heterozygosity) lie within proposed acceptable threshold values for six of the lakes, but with consistently low values in lakes above the tree line and declines observed in these northern-most lakes. Local effective population size is low in all lakes, highlighting the importance of continued protection of interconnected systems to allow genetic connectivity for long-term viability of these populations. Inbreeding (FROH ) spans 10%-30% and is mostly represented by ancient (<1 Mb) runs of homozygosity, with observations of little change in mutational load. We also investigate adaptive dynamics over evolutionarily short time frames (a few generations); identifying putative parallel selection across all lakes within a gene pertaining to skin pigmentation as well as candidates of selection unique to specific lakes and lake systems involved in reproduction and immunity. We demonstrate the utility of WGS for systematic monitoring of natural populations, a priority concern if genetic diversity is to be protected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Kurland
- Division of Population Genetics, Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Earth Sciences, Natural Resources and Sustainable Development, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Atal Saha
- Division of Population Genetics, Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
- Centre for Coastal Research, Department of Natural Sciences, University of Agder, Kristiansand, Norway
| | - Naomi Keehnen
- Division of Population Genetics, Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Ecology, SLU, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - David Díez-Del-Molino
- Division of Population Genetics, Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
- Centre for Palaeogenetics, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Nils Ryman
- Division of Population Genetics, Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Linda Laikre
- Division of Population Genetics, Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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12
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Kyriazis CC, Robinson JA, Lohmueller KE. Using Computational Simulations to Model Deleterious Variation and Genetic Load in Natural Populations. Am Nat 2023; 202:737-752. [PMID: 38033186 PMCID: PMC10897732 DOI: 10.1086/726736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
AbstractDeleterious genetic variation is abundant in wild populations, and understanding the ecological and conservation implications of such variation is an area of active research. Genomic methods are increasingly used to quantify the impacts of deleterious variation in natural populations; however, these approaches remain limited by an inability to accurately predict the selective and dominance effects of mutations. Computational simulations of deleterious variation offer a complementary tool that can help overcome these limitations, although such approaches have yet to be widely employed. In this perspective article, we aim to encourage ecological and conservation genomics researchers to adopt greater use of computational simulations to aid in deepening our understanding of deleterious variation in natural populations. We first provide an overview of the components of a simulation of deleterious variation, describing the key parameters involved in such models. Next, we discuss several approaches for validating simulation models. Finally, we compare and validate several recently proposed deleterious mutation models, demonstrating that models based on estimates of selection parameters from experimental systems are biased toward highly deleterious mutations. We describe a new model that is supported by multiple orthogonal lines of evidence and provide example scripts for implementing this model (https://github.com/ckyriazis/simulations_review).
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13
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Burnett HA, Bieker VC, Le Moullec M, Peeters B, Rosvold J, Pedersen ÅØ, Dalén L, Loe LE, Jensen H, Hansen BB, Martin MD. Contrasting genomic consequences of anthropogenic reintroduction and natural recolonization in high-arctic wild reindeer. Evol Appl 2023; 16:1531-1548. [PMID: 37752961 PMCID: PMC10519417 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic reintroduction can supplement natural recolonization in reestablishing a species' distribution and abundance. However, both reintroductions and recolonizations can give rise to founder effects that reduce genetic diversity and increase inbreeding, potentially causing the accumulation of genetic load and reduced fitness. Most current populations of the endemic high-arctic Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus) originate from recent reintroductions or recolonizations following regional extirpations due to past overharvesting. We investigated and compared the genomic consequences of these two paths to reestablishment using whole-genome shotgun sequencing of 100 Svalbard reindeer across their range. We found little admixture between reintroduced and natural populations. Two reintroduced populations, each founded by 12 individuals around four decades (i.e. 8 reindeer generations) ago, formed two distinct genetic clusters. Compared to the source population, these populations showed only small decreases in genome-wide heterozygosity and increases in inbreeding and lengths of runs of homozygosity. In contrast, the two naturally recolonized populations without admixture possessed much lower heterozygosity, higher inbreeding and longer runs of homozygosity, possibly caused by serial population founder effects and/or fewer or more genetically related founders than in the reintroduction events. Naturally recolonized populations can thus be more vulnerable to the accumulation of genetic load than reintroduced populations. This suggests that in some organisms even small-scale reintroduction programs based on genetically diverse source populations can be more effective than natural recolonization in establishing genetically diverse populations. These findings warrant particular attention in the conservation and management of populations and species threatened by habitat fragmentation and loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamish A. Burnett
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
- Department of Natural History, NTNU University MuseumNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
| | - Vanessa C. Bieker
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
- Department of Natural History, NTNU University MuseumNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
| | - Mathilde Le Moullec
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
| | - Bart Peeters
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
| | - Jørgen Rosvold
- Department of Terrestrial BiodiversityNorwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA)TrondheimNorway
| | | | - Love Dalén
- Centre for PalaeogeneticsStockholmSweden
- Department of Bioinformatics and GeneticsSwedish Museum of Natural HistoryStockholmSweden
- Department of ZoologyStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
| | - Leif Egil Loe
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource ManagementNorwegian University of Life SciencesAasNorway
| | - Henrik Jensen
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
| | - Brage B. Hansen
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
- Department of Terrestrial EcologyNorwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA)TrondheimNorway
| | - Michael D. Martin
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
- Department of Natural History, NTNU University MuseumNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
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14
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Hudson DW, McKinley TJ, Benton CH, Delahay R, McDonald RA, Hodgson DJ. Multi-locus homozygosity promotes actuarial senescence in a wild mammal. J Anim Ecol 2023; 92:1881-1892. [PMID: 37427855 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Genome-wide homozygosity, caused for example by inbreeding, is expected to have deleterious effects on survival and/or reproduction. Evolutionary theory predicts that any fitness costs are likely to be detected in late life because natural selection will filter out negative impacts on younger individuals with greater reproductive value. Here we infer associations between multi-locus homozygosity (MLH), sex, disease and age-dependent mortality risks using Bayesian analysis of the life histories of wild European badgers Meles meles in a population naturally infected with Mycobacterium bovis (the causative agent of bovine tuberculosis [bTB]). We find important effects of MLH on all parameters of the Gompertz-Makeham mortality hazard function, but particularly in later life. Our findings confirm the predicted association between genomic homozygosity and actuarial senescence. Increased homozygosity is particularly associated with an earlier onset, and greater rates of actuarial senescence, regardless of sex. The association between homozygosity and actuarial senescence is further amplified among badgers putatively infected with bTB. These results recommend further investigation into the ecological and behavioural processes that result in genome-wide homozygosity, and focused work on whether homozygosity is harmful or beneficial during early life-stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dave W Hudson
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | | | - Clare H Benton
- National Wildlife Management Centre, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Sand Hutton, UK
| | - Richard Delahay
- National Wildlife Management Centre, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Sand Hutton, UK
| | - Robbie A McDonald
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Dave J Hodgson
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
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15
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Afonso RO, Pina-Martins F, Friesen V, Sun Z, Campioni L, Madeiros J, Silva MC. No evidence of inbreeding depression despite a historical severe bottleneck in the endangered Bermuda petrel (Pterodroma cahow). J Hered 2023; 114:459-469. [PMID: 37162284 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esad030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The Bermuda petrel Pterodroma cahow is an island endemic seabird that belongs to the Procellariiformes, one of the most endangered orders of birds. Historical records suggest a significant population size decline following human settlement in Bermuda, bringing the species to near extinction. Since the 1950s, the population has been recovering aided by the implementation of an ongoing conservation plan. However, it still faces several threats, and negative genetic effects resulting from that drastic decline are to be expected, including inbreeding and genetic drift. We studied genetic diversity and levels of inbreeding, and their effects on individual fitness and mating choice. We also tested for a genetic signature of the recent demographic bottleneck. For this, we analyzed variation in thousands of nuclear single-nucleotide polymorphisms derived from double digest restriction site-associated DNA sequencing and 1 mitochondrial gene (cytochrome oxidase I). The results revealed that the Bermuda petrel suffered a recent genetic bottleneck and shows low mitochondrial diversity compared with other petrel species. Conversely, nuclear diversity was similar to that of other endangered petrels. Inbreeding levels were not high overall, although some individuals were highly inbred. However, we found no evidence that individual inbreeding or relatedness between mates affected hatching success, or that mate choice is influenced by kinship in this very small population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita O Afonso
- cE3c-Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes & CHANGE-Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Francisco Pina-Martins
- cE3c-Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes & CHANGE-Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Vicki Friesen
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Zhengxin Sun
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Letizia Campioni
- MARE-Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Ispa-Instituto Universitário, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Jeremy Madeiros
- Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Government of Bermuda, Hamilton, Bermuda
| | - Mónica C Silva
- cE3c-Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes & CHANGE-Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
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16
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Crandall ED, Toczydlowski RH, Liggins L, Holmes AE, Ghoojaei M, Gaither MR, Wham BE, Pritt AL, Noble C, Anderson TJ, Barton RL, Berg JT, Beskid SG, Delgado A, Farrell E, Himmelsbach N, Queeno SR, Trinh T, Weyand C, Bentley A, Deck J, Riginos C, Bradburd GS, Toonen RJ. Importance of timely metadata curation to the global surveillance of genetic diversity. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2023; 37:e14061. [PMID: 36704891 PMCID: PMC10751740 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Genetic diversity within species represents a fundamental yet underappreciated level of biodiversity. Because genetic diversity can indicate species resilience to changing climate, its measurement is relevant to many national and global conservation policy targets. Many studies produce large amounts of genome-scale genetic diversity data for wild populations, but most (87%) do not include the associated spatial and temporal metadata necessary for them to be reused in monitoring programs or for acknowledging the sovereignty of nations or Indigenous peoples. We undertook a distributed datathon to quantify the availability of these missing metadata and to test the hypothesis that their availability decays with time. We also worked to remediate missing metadata by extracting them from associated published papers, online repositories, and direct communication with authors. Starting with 848 candidate genomic data sets (reduced representation and whole genome) from the International Nucleotide Sequence Database Collaboration, we determined that 561 contained mostly samples from wild populations. We successfully restored spatiotemporal metadata for 78% of these 561 data sets (n = 440 data sets with data on 45,105 individuals from 762 species in 17 phyla). Examining papers and online repositories was much more fruitful than contacting 351 authors, who replied to our email requests 45% of the time. Overall, 23% of our email queries to authors unearthed useful metadata. The probability of retrieving spatiotemporal metadata declined significantly as age of the data set increased. There was a 13.5% yearly decrease in metadata associated with published papers or online repositories and up to a 22% yearly decrease in metadata that were only available from authors. This rapid decay in metadata availability, mirrored in studies of other types of biological data, should motivate swift updates to data-sharing policies and researcher practices to ensure that the valuable context provided by metadata is not lost to conservation science forever.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric D Crandall
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Rachel H Toczydlowski
- Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program, Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Libby Liggins
- School of Natural Sciences, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Ann E Holmes
- Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Maryam Ghoojaei
- Department of Biology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA
| | - Michelle R Gaither
- Department of Biology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA
| | - Briana E Wham
- Department of Research Informatics and Publishing, The Pennsylvania State University Libraries, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Andrea L Pritt
- Madlyn L. Hanes Library, The Pennsylvania State University Libraries, Pennsylvania State University, Middletown, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Cory Noble
- School of Natural Sciences, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Tanner J Anderson
- Department of Anthropology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA
| | - Randi L Barton
- Department of Marine Science, California State University Monterey Bay, Seaside, California, USA
- Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, Moss Landing, California, USA
| | - Justin T Berg
- UOG Marine Laboratory, University of Guam, Mangilao, Guam
| | - Sofia G Beskid
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Alonso Delgado
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Emily Farrell
- Department of Biology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA
| | - Nan Himmelsbach
- Department of Natural Science, Hawai'i Pacific University, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
| | - Samantha R Queeno
- Department of Anthropology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA
| | - Thienthanh Trinh
- Department of Biology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA
| | - Courtney Weyand
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA
| | - Andrew Bentley
- Biodiversity Institute, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
| | - John Deck
- Berkeley Natural History Museums, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Cynthia Riginos
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Gideon S Bradburd
- Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program, Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Robert J Toonen
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Kaneohe, Hawaii, USA
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17
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Pérez‐Pereira N, Quesada H, Caballero A. An empirical evaluation of the estimation of inbreeding depression from molecular markers under suboptimal conditions. Evol Appl 2023; 16:1302-1315. [PMID: 37492144 PMCID: PMC10363801 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Inbreeding depression (ID), the reduction in fitness due to inbreeding, is typically measured by the regression of the phenotypic values of individuals for a particular trait on their corresponding inbreeding coefficients (F). While genealogical records can provide these coefficients, they may be unavailable or incomplete, making molecular markers a useful alternative. The power to detect ID and its accuracy depend on the variation of F values of individuals, the sample sizes available, and the accuracy in the estimation of individual fitness traits and F values. In this study, we used Drosophila melanogaster to evaluate the effectiveness of molecular markers in estimating ID under suboptimal conditions. We generated two sets of 100 pairs of unrelated individuals from a large panmictic population and mated them for two generations to produce non-inbred and unrelated individuals (F = 0) and inbred individuals (full-sib progeny; F = 0.25). Using these expected genealogical F values, we calculated inbreeding depression for two fitness-related traits, pupae productivity and competitive fitness. We then sequenced the males from 17 non-inbred pairs and 17 inbred pairs to obtain their genomic inbreeding coefficients and estimate ID for the two traits. The scenario assumed was rather restrictive in terms of estimation of ID because: (1) the individuals belonged to the same generation of a large panmictic population, leading to low variation in individual F coefficients; (2) the sample sizes were small; and (3) the traits measured depended on both males and females while only males were sequenced. Despite the challenging conditions of our study, we found that molecular markers provided estimates of ID that were comparable to those obtained from simple pedigree estimations with larger sample sizes. The results therefore suggest that genomic measures of inbreeding are useful to provide estimates of inbreeding depression even under very challenging scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noelia Pérez‐Pereira
- Centro de Investigación MariñaUniversidade de Vigo, Facultade de BioloxíaVigoSpain
| | - Humberto Quesada
- Centro de Investigación MariñaUniversidade de Vigo, Facultade de BioloxíaVigoSpain
| | - Armando Caballero
- Centro de Investigación MariñaUniversidade de Vigo, Facultade de BioloxíaVigoSpain
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18
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Sumitha MK, Kalimuthu M, Kumar MS, Paramasivan R, Kumar NP, Sunish IP, Balaji T, Sarma DK, Kumar D, Suman DS, Srivastava H, Bhowmick IP, Vaishnav K, Singh OP, Patil PB, Tyagi S, Mohanty SS, Barik TK, Uragayala S, Kumar A, Gupta B. Genetic differentiation among Aedes aegypti populations from different eco-geographical zones of India. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2023; 17:e0011486. [PMID: 37498944 PMCID: PMC10409278 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011486] [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: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The present study explicitly evaluated the genetic structure of Aedes aegypti Linn, the vector of dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses, across different geo-climatic zones of India and also elucidated the impact of ecological and topographic factors. After data quality checks and removal of samples with excess null alleles, the final analysis was performed on 589 individual samples using 10 microsatellite markers. Overall findings of this study suggested that, Ae. aegypti populations are highly diverse with moderate genetic differentiation between them. Around half of the populations (13 out of 22) formed two genetic clusters roughly associated with geographical regions. The remaining nine populations shared genetic ancestries with either one or both of the clusters. A significant relationship between genetic and geographic distance was observed, indicating isolation by distance. However, spatial autocorrelation analysis predicted the signs of long-distance admixture. Post-hoc environmental association analysis showed that 52.7% of genetic variations were explained by a combination of climatic and topographic factors, with latitude and temperature being the best predictors. This study indicated that though overall genetic differentiation among Ae. aegypti populations across India is moderate (Fst = 0.099), the differences between the populations are developing due to the factors associated with geographic locations. This study improves the understanding of the Ae. aegypti population structure in India that may assist in predicting mosquito movements across the geo-climatic zones, enabling effective control strategies and assessing the risk of disease transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Devendra Kumar
- Department of Zoology, Mohanlal Sukhadia University, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India
| | - Devi Shankar Suman
- Estuarine Biology Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India, Gopalpur-on-Sea, Ganjam, Odisha, India
| | - Hemlata Srivastava
- School of Biological Sciences, Institute of Management Studies (University Courses Campus), Ghaziabad, Delhi, India
| | | | | | - Om P. Singh
- ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, India
| | | | - Suchi Tyagi
- ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, India
| | - Suman S. Mohanty
- ICMR-National Institute for Implementation Research on Non-Communicable Diseases, Jodhpur, India
| | - Tapan Kumar Barik
- Medical Entomology Laboratory, Post Graduate Department of Zoology, Berhampur University, Ganjam, Odisha, India
| | - Sreehari Uragayala
- ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research, Field Unit, Bengaluru, India
| | - Ashwani Kumar
- ICMR-Vector Control Research Centre, Puducherry, India
| | - Bhavna Gupta
- ICMR-Vector Control Research Centre, Field Station, Madurai, India
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19
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Forester BR, Day CC, Ruegg K, Landguth EL. Evolutionary potential mitigates extinction risk under climate change in the endangered southwestern willow flycatcher. J Hered 2023; 114:341-353. [PMID: 36738446 PMCID: PMC10287148 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esac067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The complexity of global anthropogenic change makes forecasting species responses and planning effective conservation actions challenging. Additionally, important components of a species' adaptive capacity, such as evolutionary potential, are often not included in quantitative risk assessments due to lack of data. While genomic proxies for evolutionary potential in at-risk species are increasingly available, they have not yet been included in extinction risk assessments at a species-wide scale. In this study, we used an individual-based, spatially explicit, dynamic eco-evolutionary simulation model to evaluate the extinction risk of an endangered desert songbird, the southwestern willow flycatcher (Empidonax traillii extimus), in response to climate change. Using data from long-term demographic and habitat studies in conjunction with genome-wide ecological genomics research, we parameterized simulations that include 418 sites across the breeding range, genomic data from 225 individuals, and climate change forecasts spanning 3 generalized circulation models and 3 emissions scenarios. We evaluated how evolutionary potential, and the lack of it, impacted population trajectories in response to climate change. We then investigated the compounding impact of drought and warming temperatures on extinction risk through the mechanism of increased nest failure. Finally, we evaluated how rapid action to reverse greenhouse gas emissions would influence population responses and species extinction risk. Our results illustrate the value of incorporating evolutionary, demographic, and dispersal processes in a spatially explicit framework to more comprehensively evaluate the extinction risk of threatened and endangered species and conservation actions to promote their recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brenna R Forester
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Casey C Day
- Computational Ecology Lab, School of Public and Community Health Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, United States
| | - Kristen Ruegg
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Erin L Landguth
- Computational Ecology Lab, School of Public and Community Health Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, United States
- Center for Population Health Research, School of Public and Community Health Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, United States
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20
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Mihailova Y, Rusanov K, Rusanova M, Vassileva P, Atanassov I, Nikolov V, Todorovska EG. Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of Bulgarian Autochthonous Sheep Breeds Revealed by Microsatellite Analysis. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:1878. [PMID: 37889838 PMCID: PMC10252131 DOI: 10.3390/ani13111878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
This study attempts to provide a deeper insight into the current genetic status of 12 Bulgarian autochthonous sheep breeds using microsatellite (SSR) markers. A total of 600 individuals from 50 flocks were analyzed using a panel of 13 SSR markers. In total, 228 alleles were found in the studied microsatellite loci. The mean number of alleles, the effective number of alleles, and the polymorphic information content (PIC) values per locus were 17.54, 5.250, and 0.799, respectively. The expected heterozygosity (He) for all breeds ranged from 0.70 to 0.82. The within-population heterozygote deficit (Fis) varied from -0.03 to 0.1, reflecting significant levels for 10 of the 12 breeds. The average genetic differentiation (Fst) was 0.046, revealing a low discrimination between the breeds. The genetic distance, principal coordinate analysis, and the structure analysis showed that two of the studied breeds-Local Stara Zagora/SZ/ and Local Karnobat/MK/-were the most distinct sheep populations. The Bayesian clustering approach suggested poor breed differentiation for the remaining 10 sheep breeds. The results suggest that proper management strategies and specific breeding policies need to be implemented in Bulgaria to avoid the intermixing of breeds and to reduce the erosion of breed purity observed in some breeds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanka Mihailova
- Agricultural Academy, 30 Suhodolska Str., 1373 Sofia, Bulgaria;
| | - Krasimir Rusanov
- Department of Agrobiotechnology, AgroBioInstitute, Agricultural Academy, 8 Dragan Tsankov Blvd., 1164 Sofia, Bulgaria; (K.R.); (M.R.); (P.V.); (I.A.)
| | - Mila Rusanova
- Department of Agrobiotechnology, AgroBioInstitute, Agricultural Academy, 8 Dragan Tsankov Blvd., 1164 Sofia, Bulgaria; (K.R.); (M.R.); (P.V.); (I.A.)
| | - Pavlina Vassileva
- Department of Agrobiotechnology, AgroBioInstitute, Agricultural Academy, 8 Dragan Tsankov Blvd., 1164 Sofia, Bulgaria; (K.R.); (M.R.); (P.V.); (I.A.)
| | - Ivan Atanassov
- Department of Agrobiotechnology, AgroBioInstitute, Agricultural Academy, 8 Dragan Tsankov Blvd., 1164 Sofia, Bulgaria; (K.R.); (M.R.); (P.V.); (I.A.)
| | - Vasil Nikolov
- Department of Livestock Sciences, Agricultural University (AU), 12 Mendeleev Blvd., 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria;
| | - Elena G. Todorovska
- Agricultural Academy, 30 Suhodolska Str., 1373 Sofia, Bulgaria;
- Department of Agrobiotechnology, AgroBioInstitute, Agricultural Academy, 8 Dragan Tsankov Blvd., 1164 Sofia, Bulgaria; (K.R.); (M.R.); (P.V.); (I.A.)
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21
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Li C, Xiao H, Zhang X, Lin H, Elmer KR, Zhao J. Deep genome-wide divergences among species in White Cloud Mountain minnow Tanichthys albonubes (Cypriniformes: Tanichthyidae) complex: Conservation and species management implications. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2023; 182:107734. [PMID: 36804428 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2023.107734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
Identifying cryptic species is important for the assessments of biodiversity. Further, untangling mechanisms underlying the origins of cryptic species can facilitate our understanding of evolutionary processes. Advancements in genomic approaches for non-model systems have offered unprecedented opportunities to investigate these areas. The White Cloud Mountain minnow (Tanichthys albonubes) is a popular freshwater pet fish worldwide but its wild populations in China are critically endangered. Recent research based on a few molecular markers suggested that this species in fact comprised seven cryptic species, of which six were previously unknown. Here, we tested six of these cryptic species and quantified genomic interspecific divergences between species in the T. albonubes complex by analyzing genome-wide restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RADseq) data generated from 189 individuals sampled from seven populations (including an outgroup congeneric species, T. micagemmae). We found that six cryptic species previously suggested were well supported by RADseq data. The genetic diversity of each species in the T. albonubes complex was low compared with T. micagemmae and the contemporary effective population sizes (Ne) of each cryptic species were small. Phylogenetic analysis showed seven clades with high support values confirmed with Neighbor-Net trees. The pairwise divergences between species in T. albonubes complex were deep and the highly differentiated loci were evenly distributed across the genome. We proposed that the divergence level of T. albonubes complex is at a late stage of cryptic speciation and lacking gene flow. Our findings provide new insights into cryptic speciation and have important implications for conservation and species management of T. albonubes complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Li
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Subtropical Biodiversity and Biomonitoring, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Healthy and Safe Aquaculture, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Environmentally Friendly Aquaculture, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China; Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Han Xiao
- Institute of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland
| | - Xiuxia Zhang
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Subtropical Biodiversity and Biomonitoring, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Healthy and Safe Aquaculture, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Environmentally Friendly Aquaculture, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hungdu Lin
- The Affiliated School of National Tainan First Senior High School, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Kathryn R Elmer
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Jun Zhao
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Subtropical Biodiversity and Biomonitoring, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Healthy and Safe Aquaculture, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Environmentally Friendly Aquaculture, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.
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22
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Kardos M, Zhang Y, Parsons KM, A Y, Kang H, Xu X, Liu X, Matkin CO, Zhang P, Ward EJ, Hanson MB, Emmons C, Ford MJ, Fan G, Li S. Inbreeding depression explains killer whale population dynamics. Nat Ecol Evol 2023; 7:675-686. [PMID: 36941343 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-01995-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the factors that cause endangered populations to either grow or decline is crucial for preserving biodiversity. Conservation efforts often address extrinsic threats, such as environmental degradation and overexploitation, that can limit the recovery of endangered populations. Genetic factors such as inbreeding depression can also affect population dynamics but these effects are rarely measured in the wild and thus often neglected in conservation efforts. Here we show that inbreeding depression strongly influences the population dynamics of an endangered killer whale population, despite genomic signatures of purging of deleterious alleles via natural selection. We find that the 'Southern Residents', which are currently endangered despite nearly 50 years of conservation efforts, exhibit strong inbreeding depression for survival. Our population models suggest that this inbreeding depression limits population growth and predict further decline if the population remains genetically isolated and typical environmental conditions continue. The Southern Residents also had more inferred homozygous deleterious alleles than three other, growing, populations, further suggesting that inbreeding depression affects population fitness. These results demonstrate that inbreeding depression can substantially limit the recovery of endangered populations. Conservation actions focused only on extrinsic threats may therefore fail to account for key intrinsic genetic factors that also limit population growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marty Kardos
- Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Yaolei Zhang
- BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao, China
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Kim M Parsons
- Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Yunga A
- BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao, China
| | - Hui Kang
- Marine Mammal and Marine Bioacoustics Laboratory, Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, China
| | - Xun Xu
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xin Liu
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | | | - Peijun Zhang
- Marine Mammal and Marine Bioacoustics Laboratory, Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, China
| | - Eric J Ward
- Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - M Bradley Hanson
- Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Candice Emmons
- Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Michael J Ford
- Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Guangyi Fan
- BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao, China.
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Songhai Li
- Marine Mammal and Marine Bioacoustics Laboratory, Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, China.
- Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China.
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23
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Theissinger K, Fernandes C, Formenti G, Bista I, Berg PR, Bleidorn C, Bombarely A, Crottini A, Gallo GR, Godoy JA, Jentoft S, Malukiewicz J, Mouton A, Oomen RA, Paez S, Palsbøll PJ, Pampoulie C, Ruiz-López MJ, Secomandi S, Svardal H, Theofanopoulou C, de Vries J, Waldvogel AM, Zhang G, Jarvis ED, Bálint M, Ciofi C, Waterhouse RM, Mazzoni CJ, Höglund J. How genomics can help biodiversity conservation. Trends Genet 2023:S0168-9525(23)00020-3. [PMID: 36801111 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2023.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
The availability of public genomic resources can greatly assist biodiversity assessment, conservation, and restoration efforts by providing evidence for scientifically informed management decisions. Here we survey the main approaches and applications in biodiversity and conservation genomics, considering practical factors, such as cost, time, prerequisite skills, and current shortcomings of applications. Most approaches perform best in combination with reference genomes from the target species or closely related species. We review case studies to illustrate how reference genomes can facilitate biodiversity research and conservation across the tree of life. We conclude that the time is ripe to view reference genomes as fundamental resources and to integrate their use as a best practice in conservation genomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathrin Theissinger
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Georg-Voigt-Str. 14-16, 60325 Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| | - Carlos Fernandes
- CE3C - Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes & CHANGE - Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal; Faculdade de Psicologia, Universidade de Lisboa, Alameda da Universidade, 1649-013 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Giulio Formenti
- The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Ave, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Iliana Bista
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Darwinweg 2, 2333, CR, Leiden, The Netherlands; Wellcome Sanger Institute, Tree of Life, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Paul R Berg
- NIVA - Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Økernveien, 94, 0579 Oslo, Norway; Centre for Coastal Research, University of Agder, Gimlemoen 25j, 4630 Kristiansand, Norway; Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, PO BOX 1066 Blinderm, 0316 Oslo, Norway
| | - Christoph Bleidorn
- University of Göttingen, Department of Animal Evolution and Biodiversity, Untere Karspüle, 2, 37073, Göttingen, Germany
| | | | - Angelica Crottini
- CIBIO/InBio, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, 7, 4485-661, Portugal; Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, 4099-002 Porto, Portugal; BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Guido R Gallo
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - José A Godoy
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, Calle Americo Vespucio 26, 41092, Sevillle, Spain
| | - Sissel Jentoft
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, PO BOX 1066 Blinderm, 0316 Oslo, Norway
| | - Joanna Malukiewicz
- Primate Genetics Laborator, German Primate Center, Kellnerweg 4, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Alice Mouton
- InBios - Conservation Genetics Lab, University of Liege, Chemin de la Vallée 4, 4000, Liege, Belgium
| | - Rebekah A Oomen
- Centre for Coastal Research, University of Agder, Gimlemoen 25j, 4630 Kristiansand, Norway; Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, PO BOX 1066 Blinderm, 0316 Oslo, Norway
| | - Sadye Paez
- The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Ave, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Per J Palsbøll
- Groningen Institute of Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh, 9747, AG, Groningen, The Netherlands; Center for Coastal Studies, 5 Holway Avenue, Provincetown, MA 02657, USA
| | - Christophe Pampoulie
- Marine and Freshwater Research Institute, Fornubúðir, 5,220, Hanafjörður, Iceland
| | - María J Ruiz-López
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, Calle Americo Vespucio 26, 41092, Sevillle, Spain; CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
| | | | - Hannes Svardal
- Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Constantina Theofanopoulou
- The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Ave, New York, NY 10065, USA; Hunter College, City University of New York, NY, USA
| | - Jan de Vries
- University of Goettingen, Institute for Microbiology and Genetics, Department of Applied Bioinformatics, Goettingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), Campus Institute Data Science (CIDAS), Goldschmidtstr. 1, 37077, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Ann-Marie Waldvogel
- Institute of Zoology, University of Cologne, Zülpicherstrasse 47b, D-50674, Cologne, Germany
| | - Guojie Zhang
- Evolutionary & Organismal Biology Research Center, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China; Villum Center for Biodiversity Genomics, Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark; State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, China
| | - Erich D Jarvis
- The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Ave, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Miklós Bálint
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Georg-Voigt-Str. 14-16, 60325 Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| | - Claudio Ciofi
- University of Florence, Department of Biology, Via Madonna del Piano 6, Sesto Fiorentino, (FI) 50019, Italy
| | - Robert M Waterhouse
- University of Lausanne, Department of Ecology and Evolution, Le Biophore, UNIL-Sorge, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland; Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Camila J Mazzoni
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Alfred-Kowalke-Str 17, 10315 Berlin, Germany; Berlin Center for Genomics in Biodiversity Research (BeGenDiv), Koenigin-Luise-Str 6-8, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Jacob Höglund
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, 75246, Uppsala, Sweden.
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24
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Wootton E, Robert C, Taillon J, Côté SD, Shafer ABA. Genomic health is dependent on long-term population demographic history. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:1943-1954. [PMID: 36704858 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Revised: 01/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Current genetic methods of population assessment in conservation biology have been challenged by genome-scale analyses due to their quantitatively novel insights. These analyses include assessments of runs-of-homozygosity (ROH), genomic evolutionary rate profiling (GERP), and mutational load. Here, we aim to elucidate the relationships between these measures using three divergent ungulates: white-tailed deer, caribou, and mountain goat. The white-tailed deer is currently expanding, while caribou are in the midst of a significant decline. Mountain goats remain stable, having suffered a large historical bottleneck. We assessed genome-wide signatures of inbreeding using the inbreeding coefficient F and %ROH (FROH ) and identified evolutionarily constrained regions with GERP. Mutational load was estimated by identifying mutations in highly constrained elements (CEs) and sorting intolerant from tolerant (SIFT) mutations. Our results showed that F and FROH are higher in mountain goats than in caribou and white-tailed deer. Given the extended bottleneck and low Ne of the mountain goat, this supports the idea that the genome-wide effects of demographic change take time to accrue. Similarly, we found that mountain goats possess more highly constrained CEs and the lowest dN/dS values, both of which are indicative of greater purifying selection; this is also reflected by fewer mutations in CEs and deleterious mutations identified by SIFT. In contrast, white-tailed deer presented the highest mutational load with both metrics, in addition to dN/dS, while caribou were intermediate. Our results demonstrate that extended bottlenecks may lead to reduced diversity and increased FROH in ungulates, but not necessarily an increase in mutational load, probably due to the purging of deleterious alleles in small populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Wootton
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
| | - Claude Robert
- Département des Sciences Animales, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Joëlle Taillon
- Direction de l'Expertise sur la Faune Terrestre, l'Herpétofaune et l'Avifaune, Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs, Gouvernement du Québec, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Steeve D Côté
- Département de Biologie, Caribou Ungava and Centre d'Études Nordiques, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Aaron B A Shafer
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Programme, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
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25
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Duntsch L, Whibley A, de Villemereuil P, Brekke P, Bailey S, Ewen JG, Santure AW. Genomic signatures of inbreeding depression for a threatened Aotearoa New Zealand passerine. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:1893-1907. [PMID: 36655901 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 11/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
For small and isolated populations, the increased chance of mating between related individuals can result in a substantial reduction in individual and population fitness. Despite the increasing availability of genomic data to measure inbreeding accurately across the genome, inbreeding depression studies for threatened species are still scarce due to the difficulty of measuring fitness in the wild. Here, we investigate inbreeding and inbreeding depression for the extensively monitored Tiritiri Mātangi island population of a threatened Aotearoa New Zealand passerine, the hihi (Notiomystis cincta). First, using a custom 45 k single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array, we explore genomic inbreeding patterns by inferring homozygous segments across the genome. Although all individuals have similar levels of ancient inbreeding, highly inbred individuals are affected by recent inbreeding, which can probably be explained by bottleneck effects such as habitat loss after European arrival and their translocation to the island in the 1990s. Second, we investigate genomic inbreeding effects on fitness, measured as lifetime reproductive success, and its three components, juvenile survival, adult annual survival and annual reproductive success, in 363 hihi. We find that global inbreeding significantly affects juvenile survival but none of the remaining fitness traits. Finally, we employ a genome-wide association approach to test the locus-specific effects of inbreeding on fitness, and identify 13 SNPs significantly associated with lifetime reproductive success. Our findings suggest that inbreeding depression does impact hihi, but at different genomic scales for different traits, and that purging has therefore failed to remove all variants with deleterious effects from this population of conservation concern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Duntsch
- Centre for Biodiversity and Biosecurity (CBB), School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Annabel Whibley
- Centre for Biodiversity and Biosecurity (CBB), School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Pierre de Villemereuil
- Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), École Pratique des Hautes Études, PSL, MNHN, CNRS, SU, UA, Paris, France
| | - Patricia Brekke
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, UK
| | - Sarah Bailey
- Centre for Biodiversity and Biosecurity (CBB), School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - John G Ewen
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, UK
| | - Anna W Santure
- Centre for Biodiversity and Biosecurity (CBB), School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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Sundell T, Kammonen JI, Mustanoja E, Biard V, Kunnasranta M, Niemi M, Nykänen M, Nyman T, Palo JU, Valtonen M, Paulin L, Jernvall J, Auvinen P. Genomic evidence uncovers inbreeding and supports translocations in rescuing the genetic diversity of a landlocked seal population. CONSERV GENET 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-022-01497-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
AbstractFragmentation of isolated populations increases the risk of inbreeding and loss of genetic diversity. The endemic Saimaa ringed seal (Pusa hispida saimensis) is one of the most endangered pinnipeds in the world with a population of only ~ 400 individuals. The current genetic diversity of this subspecies, isolated in Lake Saimaa in Finland for ca. 1000 generations, is alarmingly low. We performed whole-genome sequencing on Saimaa ringed seals (N = 30) and analyzed the level of homozygosity and genetic composition across the individual genomes. Our results show that the Saimaa ringed seal population has a high number of runs of homozygosity (RoH) compared with the neighboring Baltic ringed seal (Pusa hispida botnica) reference population (p < 0.001). There is also a tendency for stillborn seal pups to have more pronounced RoH. Since the population is divided into semi-isolated subpopulations within the Lake Saimaa exposing the population to deleterious genomic effects, our results support augmented gene flow as a genetic conservation action. Based on our results suggesting inbreeding depression in the population, we recommend Pihlajavesi as a potential source and Southern Saimaa as a potential recipient subpopulation for translocating individuals. The Saimaa ringed seal is a recognized subspecies and therefore translocations should be considered only within the lake to avoid an unpredictable risk of disease, the introduction of deleterious alleles, and severe ecological issues for the population.
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Analysis of Inbreeding Effects on Survival at Birth of Pannon White Rabbits Using the Inbreeding-Purging Model. DIVERSITY 2023. [DOI: 10.3390/d15010071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Mating between related animals is an inevitable consequence of a closed population structure especially when it coincides with a small population size. As a result, inbreeding depression may be encountered especially when considering fitness traits. However, under certain circumstances, the joint effects of inbreeding and selection may at least partly purge the detrimental genes from the population. In the course of this study, our objective was to determine the status of purging and to quantify the magnitude of the eliminated genetic load for the survival at birth of Pannon White rabbit kits maintained in a closed nucleus population. The evolution of the survival at birth was evaluated by applying the PurgeR R package based on the inbreeding-purging model. In the period from 1992 to 2017, 22.718 kindling records were analyzed. According to the heuristic approach, the purging coefficient reached the maximum possible value of 0.5 when estimating between 1992 and 1997. Based on the expected fitness over generations and on the expressed opportunity of purging, the beneficial effects of purging could be expected after 10 generations. The proportion of the purged genetic load could be between 20% and 60%. While the results obtained are not entirely conclusive, they do raise the possibility that some of the inbreeding load was caused, at least in part, by genes that could be successfully removed from the population by purging.
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Babarinde IA, Adeola AC, Djagoun CAMS, Nneji LM, Okeyoyin AO, Niba G, Wanzie NK, Oladipo OC, Adebambo AO, Bello SF, Ng'ang'a SI, Olaniyi WA, Okoro VMO, Adedeji BE, Olatunde O, Ayoola AO, Matouke MM, Wang YY, Sanke OJ, Oseni SO, Nwani CD, Murphy RW. Population structure and evolutionary history of the greater cane rat ( Thryonomys swinderianus) from the Guinean Forests of West Africa. Front Genet 2023; 14:1041103. [PMID: 36923796 PMCID: PMC10010571 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1041103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Grasscutter (Thryonomys swinderianus) is a large-body old world rodent found in sub-Saharan Africa. The body size and the unique taste of the meat of this major crop pest have made it a target of intense hunting and a potential consideration as a micro-livestock. However, there is insufficient knowledge on the genetic diversity of its populations across African Guinean forests. Herein, we investigated the genetic diversity, population structures and evolutionary history of seven Nigerian wild grasscutter populations together with individuals from Cameroon, Republic of Benin, and Ghana, using five mitochondrial fragments, including D-loop and cytochrome b (CYTB). D-loop haplotype diversity ranged from 0.571 (± 0.149) in Republic of Benin to 0.921 (± 0.013) in Ghana. Within Nigeria, the haplotype diversity ranged from 0.659 (± 0.059) in Cross River to 0.837 (± 0.075) in Ondo subpopulation. The fixation index (FST), haplotype frequency distribution and analysis of molecular variance revealed varying levels of population structures across populations. No significant signature of population contraction was detected in the grasscutter populations. Evolutionary analyses of CYTB suggests that South African population might have diverged from other populations about 6.1 (2.6-10.18, 95% CI) MYA. Taken together, this study reveals the population status and evolutionary history of grasscutter populations in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isaac A Babarinde
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China.,Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Adeniyi C Adeola
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China.,Sino-Africa Joint Research Centre, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China.,Centre for Biotechnology Research, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria
| | - Chabi A M S Djagoun
- Laboratory of Applied Ecology, Faculty of Agronomic Sciences, University of Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou, Benin
| | - Lotanna M Nneji
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, United States
| | - Agboola O Okeyoyin
- National Park Service Headquarters, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria
| | - George Niba
- National Centre for Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Training, Jakiri, North West Region, Cameroon
| | - Ndifor K Wanzie
- Department of Zoology, University of Douala, Douala, Cameroon.,Department of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria
| | | | - Ayotunde O Adebambo
- Animal Genetics & Biotechnology, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria
| | - Semiu F Bello
- Department of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Said I Ng'ang'a
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Wasiu A Olaniyi
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State, Nigeria
| | - Victor M O Okoro
- Department of Animal Science and Technology, School of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria
| | | | - Omotoso Olatunde
- Department of Zoology, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria
| | - Adeola O Ayoola
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China.,Sino-Africa Joint Research Centre, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Moise M Matouke
- Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
| | | | - Oscar J Sanke
- Taraba State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Jalingo, Nigeria
| | - Saidu O Oseni
- Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria
| | - Christopher D Nwani
- Department of Zoology and Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria
| | - Robert W Murphy
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Putnam AS, Ferrie GM, Ivy JA. Ex situ breeding programs benefit from science-based cooperative management. Zoo Biol 2023; 42:5-16. [PMID: 35560574 DOI: 10.1002/zoo.21700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Science-based management confers a variety of benefits to wildlife populations that are cooperatively managed by zoos and aquariums, including those managed through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Briefly, when management strategies are successful, they result in reproductively robust populations that better retain genetic diversity and limit inbreeding than unmanaged populations. Although the benefits of demographic and genetic management have been well documented throughout both the scientific and popular literature, it has also been established that the majority of managed populations in zoos and aquariums are not meeting the minimum criteria believed to convey long-term biological viability. For most of these populations, an inability to meet viability criteria is not an inherent failure of how cooperative management is implemented. Furthermore, in recent years, we have perceived that the need to meet specific viability goals sometimes has obscured the benefits that these populations receive from rigorous, science-based management. To better clarify the conversation surrounding population viability in zoos and aquariums, we seek to decouple viability measures and how they predict population persistence from the benefits conferred to populations through science-based management. A primary goal of population management is to facilitate the persistence of priority species for longer than would be expected if no such management were implemented. Although current viability measures and future projections of viability are important tools for assessing the likelihood of population persistence, they are not indicators of which populations may most benefit from science-based management. Here, we review the history and purpose of applying science-based management to zoo and aquarium populations, describe measures of population viability and caution against confusing those measures of viability with population management goals or long-term population sustainability, and clearly articulate the benefits conferred to zoo and aquarium populations by science-based management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea S Putnam
- Department of Exhibit-Curators, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Gina M Ferrie
- Disney's Animals, Science and Environment, Disney's Animal Kingdom®, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA
| | - Jamie A Ivy
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
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Shukla H, Suryamohan K, Khan A, Mohan K, Perumal RC, Mathew OK, Menon R, Dixon MD, Muraleedharan M, Kuriakose B, Michael S, Krishnankutty SP, Zachariah A, Seshagiri S, Ramakrishnan U. Near-chromosomal de novo assembly of Bengal tiger genome reveals genetic hallmarks of apex predation. Gigascience 2022; 12:6963323. [PMID: 36576130 PMCID: PMC9795480 DOI: 10.1093/gigascience/giac112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 07/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The tiger, a poster child for conservation, remains an endangered apex predator. Continued survival and recovery will require a comprehensive understanding of genetic diversity and the use of such information for population management. A high-quality tiger genome assembly will be an important tool for conservation genetics, especially for the Indian tiger, the most abundant subspecies in the wild. Here, we present high-quality near-chromosomal genome assemblies of a female and a male wild Indian tiger (Panthera tigris tigris). Our assemblies had a scaffold N50 of >140 Mb, with 19 scaffolds corresponding to the 19 numbered chromosomes, containing 95% of the genome. Our assemblies also enabled detection of longer stretches of runs of homozygosity compared to previous assemblies, which will help improve estimates of genomic inbreeding. Comprehensive genome annotation identified 26,068 protein-coding genes, including several gene families involved in key morphological features such as the teeth, claws, vision, olfaction, taste, and body stripes. We also identified 301 microRNAs, 365 small nucleolar RNAs, 632 transfer RNAs, and other noncoding RNA elements, several of which are predicted to regulate key biological pathways that likely contribute to the tiger's apex predatory traits. We identify signatures of positive selection in the tiger genome that are consistent with the Panthera lineage. Our high-quality genome will enable use of noninvasive samples for comprehensive assessment of genetic diversity, thus supporting effective conservation and management of wild tiger populations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Krishna Mohan
- Department of Research and Development, AgriGenome Labs Private Ltd, Kochi, Kerala 682030, India
| | - Rajadurai C Perumal
- Department of Research and Development, AgriGenome Labs Private Ltd, Kochi, Kerala 682030, India
| | - Oommen K Mathew
- Department of Research and Development, AgriGenome Labs Private Ltd, Kochi, Kerala 682030, India
| | - Ramesh Menon
- MedGenome Labs Ltd., Narayana Health City, Bangalore, Karnataka 560099, India
| | - Mandumpala Davis Dixon
- Department of Research and Development, AgriGenome Labs Private Ltd, Kochi, Kerala 682030, India
| | - Megha Muraleedharan
- Department of Research and Development, AgriGenome Labs Private Ltd, Kochi, Kerala 682030, India
| | - Boney Kuriakose
- Department of Research and Development, AgriGenome Labs Private Ltd, Kochi, Kerala 682030, India
| | - Saju Michael
- Department of Research and Development, AgriGenome Labs Private Ltd, Kochi, Kerala 682030, India
| | - Sajesh P Krishnankutty
- Department of Research and Development, AgriGenome Labs Private Ltd, Kochi, Kerala 682030, India
| | - Arun Zachariah
- SciGenom Research Foundation, Narayana Health City, Bangalore, Karnataka 560099, India,Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, Sultan Bathery, Kerala 673592, India
| | - Somasekar Seshagiri
- Correspondence address. Somasekar Seshagiri, Department of Research and Development SciGenom Research Foundation 3rd Floor, Narayana Nethralaya Building, Narayana Health City, #258/A, Bommasandra, Hosur Road, Bangalore 560099, India. E-mail:
| | - Uma Ramakrishnan
- Correspondence address. Uma Ramakrishnan, National Centre for Biological Sciences, TIFR Bellary Road, Bangalore 560065, India. E-mail:
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Caballero A, Fernández A, Villanueva B, Toro MA. A comparison of marker-based estimators of inbreeding and inbreeding depression. Genet Sel Evol 2022; 54:82. [PMID: 36575379 PMCID: PMC9793638 DOI: 10.1186/s12711-022-00772-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The availability of genome-wide marker data allows estimation of inbreeding coefficients (F, the probability of identity-by-descent, IBD) and, in turn, estimation of the rate of inbreeding depression (ΔID). We investigated, by computer simulations, the accuracy of the most popular estimators of inbreeding based on molecular markers when computing F and ΔID in populations under random mating, equalization of parental contributions, and artificially selected populations. We assessed estimators described by Li and Horvitz (FLH1 and FLH2), VanRaden (FVR1 and FVR2), Yang and colleagues (FYA1 and FYA2), marker homozygosity (FHOM), runs of homozygosity (FROH) and estimates based on pedigree (FPED) in comparison with estimates obtained from IBD measures (FIBD). RESULTS If the allele frequencies of a base population taken as a reference for the computation of inbreeding are known, all estimators based on marker allele frequencies are highly correlated with FIBD and provide accurate estimates of the mean ΔID. If base population allele frequencies are unknown and current frequencies are used in the estimations, the largest correlation with FIBD is generally obtained by FLH1 and the best estimator of ΔID is FYA2. The estimators FVR2 and FLH2 have the poorest performance in most scenarios. The assumption that base population allele frequencies are equal to 0.5 results in very biased estimates of the average inbreeding coefficient but they are highly correlated with FIBD and give relatively good estimates of ΔID. Estimates obtained directly from marker homozygosity (FHOM) substantially overestimated ΔID. Estimates based on runs of homozygosity (FROH) provide accurate estimates of inbreeding and ΔID. Finally, estimates based on pedigree (FPED) show a lower correlation with FIBD than molecular estimators but provide rather accurate estimates of ΔID. An analysis of data from a pig population supports the main findings of the simulations. CONCLUSIONS When base population allele frequencies are known, all marker-allele frequency-based estimators of inbreeding coefficients generally show a high correlation with FIBD and provide good estimates of ΔID. When base population allele frequencies are unknown, FLH1 is the marker frequency-based estimator that is most correlated with FIBD, and FYA2 provides the most accurate estimates of ΔID. Estimates from FROH are also very precise in most scenarios. The estimators FVR2 and FLH2 have the poorest performances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armando Caballero
- grid.6312.60000 0001 2097 6738Centro de Investigación Mariña, Universidade de Vigo, Facultade de Bioloxía, 36310 Vigo, Spain
| | - Almudena Fernández
- Departamento de Mejora Genética Animal, INIA-CSIC, Ctra. de La Coruña, Km 7.5, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Beatriz Villanueva
- Departamento de Mejora Genética Animal, INIA-CSIC, Ctra. de La Coruña, Km 7.5, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel A. Toro
- grid.5690.a0000 0001 2151 2978Departamento de Producción Agraria, ETSI Agronómica, Alimentaria y de Biosistemas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
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Life History Traits of Sperm Whales Physeter macrocephalus Linnaeus, 1758 Stranded along Italian Coasts (Cetartiodactyla: Physeteridae). Animals (Basel) 2022; 13:ani13010079. [PMID: 36611689 PMCID: PMC9817511 DOI: 10.3390/ani13010079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigated the relationship between age and body length, and age at sexual maturity of Physeter macrocephalus individuals stranded along the Italian coast. Our molecular analysis shows that all our samples belong to the C.001.002 haplotype, shared between Atlantic and Mediterranean populations. We show that males attain sexual maturity at 10 years, similar to those from other marine areas. However, considering the same body length class, Mediterranean males are older than Atlantic ones. Our finding of a Mediterranean pregnant female of only 6.5 m in length and an assessed age of 24-26 years is particularly noteworthy, considering that females reach sexual maturity at about 9 years and 9 m of total length in other regions. Comparing our results with the literature data, we highlight the positive correlation between lifespan, adult body length and weight of males from the Mediterranean and Atlantic Ocean. Regardless of whether the relatively small size of Mediterranean specimens is a consequence of an inbreeding depression or an adaptation to less favorable trophic conditions, we recommend to closely monitor this population from a conservation perspective. In fact, its low genetic diversity likely corresponds to a relatively limited ability to respond to environmental changes compared with other populations.
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Tibihika PD, Meimberg H, Curto M. Understanding the translocation dynamics of Nile tilapia ( Oreochromis niloticus) and its ecological consequences in East Africa. AFRICAN ZOOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/15627020.2022.2154169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Papius Dias Tibihika
- National Fisheries Resources Research Institute, National Agricultural Research Organization, Kampala, Uganda
- Institute for Integrative Nature Conservation Research, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna (BOKU), Wien, Austria
| | - Harald Meimberg
- Institute for Integrative Nature Conservation Research, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna (BOKU), Wien, Austria
| | - Manuel Curto
- Institute for Integrative Nature Conservation Research, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna (BOKU), Wien, Austria
- MARE−Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
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Chen Y, Zhang HL, Zhang L, Nizamani MM, Zhou T, Zhang H, Liu T. Genetic diversity assessment of Hopea hainanensis in Hainan Island. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:1075102. [PMID: 36570896 PMCID: PMC9767952 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1075102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Hopea hainanensis (Dipterocarpaceae) is an endangered tree species restricted to Hainan Island, China, and a small part of Northern Vietnam. On Hainan Island, it is an important indicator species for tropical forests. The wood of Hopea hainanensis has a very high utilization value in nature since it is compact in structure, hard in texture, not easily deformed after drying, durable, and resistant to sunlight and water. As a result of its high quality, it has been felled and mined by humans without restraint, resulting in a reduction of its population size, severe habitat fragmentation, and a sharp decline in its population. Therefore, its conservation biology needs to be researched urgently. Researchers are currently focusing on the ecological factors and seed germination in the habitat of Hopea hainanensis to determine its endangered status. In the literature, there are no systematic analyses of the endangered mechanism of Hopea hainanensis in terms of genetic diversity. It focuses especially on the systematic genetic diversity of Hopea hainanensis in fragmented habitats. Using single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) technology, 42 samples from seven different cohabitation groups were genotyped. The results showed that the average heterozygosity of the six populations of Hopea hainanensis was 19.77%, which indicated that the genetic diversity of Hopea hainanensis was low. Genetic diversity research is essential for rare and endangered plant protection research. We can find a scientific basis for protecting endangered plants on slope bases by analyzing genetic differences and relationships among populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yukai Chen
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, China
| | - Hai-Li Zhang
- Hainan Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresources, School of Life Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Li Zhang
- Guizhou Normal University Museum, Guizhou Normal University, Guizhou, China
| | - Mir Muhammad Nizamani
- Department of Plant Pathology, Agricultural College, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| | - Taoxiu Zhou
- College of Biological Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Haiyang Zhang
- College of International Studies, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Tingting Liu
- Guizhou Normal University Museum, Guizhou Normal University, Guizhou, China
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Tian D, Patton AH, Turner BJ, Martin CH. Severe inbreeding, increased mutation load and gene loss-of-function in the critically endangered Devils Hole pupfish. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20221561. [PMID: 36321496 PMCID: PMC9627712 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.1561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Small populations with limited range are often threatened by inbreeding and reduced genetic diversity, which can reduce fitness and exacerbate population decline. One of the most extreme natural examples is the Devils Hole pupfish (Cyprinodon diabolis), an iconic and critically endangered species with the smallest known range of any vertebrate. This species has experienced severe declines in population size over the last 30 years and suffered major bottlenecks in 2007 and 2013, when the population shrunk to 38 and 35 individuals, respectively. Here, we analysed 30 resequenced genomes of desert pupfishes from Death Valley, Ash Meadows and surrounding areas to examine the genomic consequences of small population size. We found extremely high levels of inbreeding (FROH = 0.34–0.81) and an increased amount of potentially deleterious genetic variation in the Devils Hole pupfish as compared to other species, including unique, fixed loss-of-function alleles and deletions in genes associated with sperm motility and hypoxia. Additionally, we successfully resequenced a formalin-fixed museum specimen from 1980 and found that the population was already highly inbred prior to recent known bottlenecks. We thus document severe inbreeding and increased mutation load in the Devils Hole pupfish and identify candidate deleterious variants to inform management of this conservation icon.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Tian
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Austin H. Patton
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Bruce J. Turner
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Christopher H. Martin
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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36
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Bock SL, Smaga CR, McCoy JA, Parrott BB. Genome-wide DNA methylation patterns harbour signatures of hatchling sex and past incubation temperature in a species with environmental sex determination. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:5487-5505. [PMID: 35997618 PMCID: PMC9826120 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Conservation of thermally sensitive species depends on monitoring organismal and population-level responses to environmental change in real time. Epigenetic processes are increasingly recognized as key integrators of environmental conditions into developmentally plastic responses, and attendant epigenomic data sets hold potential for revealing cryptic phenotypes relevant to conservation efforts. Here, we demonstrate the utility of genome-wide DNA methylation (DNAm) patterns in the face of climate change for a group of especially vulnerable species, those with temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD). Due to their reliance on thermal cues during development to determine sexual fate, contemporary shifts in temperature are predicted to skew offspring sex ratios and ultimately destabilize sensitive populations. Using reduced-representation bisulphite sequencing, we profiled the DNA methylome in blood cells of hatchling American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis), a TSD species lacking reliable markers of sexual dimorphism in early life stages. We identified 120 sex-associated differentially methylated cytosines (DMCs; FDR < 0.1) in hatchlings incubated under a range of temperatures, as well as 707 unique temperature-associated DMCs. We further developed DNAm-based models capable of predicting hatchling sex with 100% accuracy (in 20 training samples and four test samples) and past incubation temperature with a mean absolute error of 1.2°C (in four test samples) based on the methylation status of 20 and 24 loci, respectively. Though largely independent of epigenomic patterning occurring in the embryonic gonad during TSD, DNAm patterns in blood cells may serve as nonlethal markers of hatchling sex and past incubation conditions in conservation applications. These findings also raise intriguing questions regarding tissue-specific epigenomic patterning in the context of developmental plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha L. Bock
- Eugene P. Odum School of EcologyUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGeorgiaUSA
- Savannah River Ecology LaboratoryAikenSouth CarolinaUSA
| | - Christopher R. Smaga
- Eugene P. Odum School of EcologyUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGeorgiaUSA
- Savannah River Ecology LaboratoryAikenSouth CarolinaUSA
| | - Jessica A. McCoy
- Department of BiologyCollege of CharlestonCharlestonSouth CarolinaUSA
| | - Benjamin B. Parrott
- Eugene P. Odum School of EcologyUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGeorgiaUSA
- Savannah River Ecology LaboratoryAikenSouth CarolinaUSA
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Population genomics reveals moderate genetic differentiation between populations of endangered Forest Musk Deer located in Shaanxi and Sichuan. BMC Genomics 2022; 23:668. [PMID: 36138352 PMCID: PMC9503231 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-022-08896-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Many endangered species exist in small, genetically depauperate, or inbred populations, hence promoting genetic differentiation and reducing long-term population viability. Forest Musk Deer (Moschus berezovskii) has been subject to illegal hunting for hundreds of years due to the medical and commercial values of musk, resulting in a significant decline in population size. However, it is still unclear to what extent the genetic exchange and inbreeding levels are between geographically isolated populations. By using whole-genome data, we reconstructed the demographic history, evaluated genetic diversity, and characterized the population genetic structure of Forest Musk Deer from one wild population in Sichuan Province and two captive populations from two ex-situ centers in Shaanxi Province. Results SNP calling by GATK resulted in a total of 44,008,662 SNPs. Principal component analysis (PCA), phylogenetic tree (NJ tree), ancestral component analysis (ADMIXTURE) and the ABBA-BABA test separated Sichuan and Shaanxi Forest Musk Deer as two genetic clusters, but no obvious genetic differentiation was observed between the two captive populations. The average pairwise FST value between the populations in Sichuan and Shaanxi ranged from 0.05–0.07, suggesting a low to moderate genetic differentiation. The mean heterozygous SNPs rate was 0.14% (0.11%—0.15%) for Forest Musk Deer at the genomic scale, and varied significantly among three populations (Chi-square = 1.22, p < 0.05, Kruskal–Wallis Test), with the Sichuan population having the lowest (0.11%). The nucleotide diversity of three populations varied significantly (p < 0.05, Kruskal–Wallis Test), with the Sichuan population having the lowest genetic θπ (1.69 × 10–3). Conclusions Genetic diversity of Forest Musk Deer was moderate at the genomic scale compared with other endangered species. Genetic differentiation between populations in Sichuan and Shaanxi may not only result from historical biogeographical factors but also be associated with contemporary human disturbances. Our findings provide scientific aid for the conservation and management of Forest Musk Deer. They can extend the proposed measures at the genomic level to apply to other musk deer species worldwide. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-022-08896-9.
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Meiring C, Schurz H, van Helden P, Hoal E, Tromp G, Kinnear C, Kleynhans L, Glanzmann B, van Schalkwyk L, Miller M, Möller M. African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) from the Kruger National Park, South Africa are currently not inbred but have low genomic diversity. Sci Rep 2022; 12:14979. [PMID: 36056068 PMCID: PMC9440078 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-19025-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) have undergone severe population reductions and are listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. Small, isolated populations have the potential to suffer from threats to their genetic diversity that may impact species viability and future survival. This study provides the first set of population-wide genomic data to address conservation concerns for this endangered species. Whole genome sequencing data were generated for 71 free-ranging African wild dogs from the Kruger National Park (KNP), South Africa, and used to estimate important population genomic parameters. Genomic diversity metrics revealed that variation levels were low; however, this African wild dog population showed low levels of inbreeding. Very few first- and second-order relationships were observed in this cohort, with most relationships falling into the third-order or distant category. Patterns of homozygosity could have resulted from historical inbreeding or a loss in genome variation due to a population bottleneck. Although the results suggest that this stronghold African wild dog population maintains low levels of inbreeding, likely due to their cooperative breeding system, it may lead to a continuous population decline when a reduced number of suitable mates are available. Consequently, the low genomic variation may influence species viability over time. This study highlights the importance of assessing population genomic parameters to set conservation priorities. Future studies should include the investigation of the potential of this endangered species to adapt to environmental changes considering the low genomic diversity in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Meiring
- DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research, South African Medical Research Council Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, PO Box 241, Francie van Zijl Drive, Cape Town, 7500, South Africa.
| | - Haiko Schurz
- DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research, South African Medical Research Council Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, PO Box 241, Francie van Zijl Drive, Cape Town, 7500, South Africa
| | - Paul van Helden
- DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research, South African Medical Research Council Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, PO Box 241, Francie van Zijl Drive, Cape Town, 7500, South Africa
| | - Eileen Hoal
- DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research, South African Medical Research Council Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, PO Box 241, Francie van Zijl Drive, Cape Town, 7500, South Africa
| | - Gerard Tromp
- DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research, South African Medical Research Council Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, PO Box 241, Francie van Zijl Drive, Cape Town, 7500, South Africa
- South African Tuberculosis Bioinformatics Initiative (SATBBI), Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Francie van Zijl Drive, PO Box 241, Cape Town, 7500, South Africa
| | - Craig Kinnear
- DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research, South African Medical Research Council Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, PO Box 241, Francie van Zijl Drive, Cape Town, 7500, South Africa
- Genomics Centre, South African Medical Research Council, Francie van Zijl Drive, PO Box 19070, Cape Town, 7500, South Africa
| | - Léanie Kleynhans
- DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research, South African Medical Research Council Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, PO Box 241, Francie van Zijl Drive, Cape Town, 7500, South Africa
| | - Brigitte Glanzmann
- DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research, South African Medical Research Council Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, PO Box 241, Francie van Zijl Drive, Cape Town, 7500, South Africa
- Genomics Centre, South African Medical Research Council, Francie van Zijl Drive, PO Box 19070, Cape Town, 7500, South Africa
| | - Louis van Schalkwyk
- Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, PO Box 12, Skukuza, 1350, South Africa
- Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X04, Soutpan Road, Pretoria, 0110, South Africa
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Am Obstberg 1, 78315, Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Michele Miller
- DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research, South African Medical Research Council Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, PO Box 241, Francie van Zijl Drive, Cape Town, 7500, South Africa
| | - Marlo Möller
- DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research, South African Medical Research Council Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, PO Box 241, Francie van Zijl Drive, Cape Town, 7500, South Africa
- Centre for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Stellenbosch University, Private bag X1, Merriman Avenue, Stellenbosch, 7600, South Africa
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Virrueta Herrera S, Johnson KP, Sweet AD, Ylinen E, Kunnasranta M, Nyman T. High levels of inbreeding with spatial and host-associated structure in lice of an endangered freshwater seal. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:4593-4606. [PMID: 35726520 PMCID: PMC9544963 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2022] [Revised: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Host-specialist parasites of endangered large vertebrates are in many cases more endangered than their hosts. In particular, low host population densities and reduced among-host transmission rates are expected to lead to inbreeding within parasite infrapopulations living on single host individuals. Furthermore, spatial population structures of directly-transmitted parasites should be concordant with those of their hosts. Using population genomic approaches, we investigated inbreeding and population structure in a host-specialist seal louse (Echinophthirius horridus) infesting the Saimaa ringed seal (Phoca hispida saimensis), which is endemic to Lake Saimaa in Finland, and is one of the most endangered pinnipeds in the world. We conducted genome resequencing of pairs of lice collected from 18 individual Saimaa ringed seals throughout the Lake Saimaa complex. Our analyses showed high genetic similarity and inbreeding between lice inhabiting the same individual seal host, indicating low among-host transmission rates. Across the lake, genetic differentiation among individual lice was correlated with their geographic distance, and assignment analyses revealed a marked break in the genetic variation of the lice in the middle of the lake, indicating substantial population structure. These findings indicate that movements of Saimaa ringed seals across the main breeding areas of the fragmented Lake Saimaa complex may in fact be more restricted than suggested by previous population-genetic analyses of the seals themselves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephany Virrueta Herrera
- Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois, Champaign, Illinois, USA.,Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Kevin P Johnson
- Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois, Champaign, Illinois, USA
| | - Andrew D Sweet
- Department of Biological Sciences, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA
| | - Eeva Ylinen
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland
| | - Mervi Kunnasranta
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland.,Natural Resources Institute Finland, Joensuu, Finland
| | - Tommi Nyman
- Department of Ecosystems in the Barents Region, Svanhovd Research Station, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, Svanvik, Norway
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Undin M, Castro I. Predicting breeding systems to guide conservation strategies: A kiwi example. Ethology 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Malin Undin
- Department of Natural Sciences Mid Sweden University Sundsvall Sweden
- Wildlife and Ecology Group, School of Agriculture and Environment Massey University Palmerston North New Zealand
| | - Isabel Castro
- Wildlife and Ecology Group, School of Agriculture and Environment Massey University Palmerston North New Zealand
- Wildbase Research Massey University Palmerston North New Zealand
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Inbreeding is associated with shorter early-life telomere length in a wild passerine. CONSERV GENET 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-022-01441-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
AbstractInbreeding can have negative effects on survival and reproduction, which may be of conservation concern in small and isolated populations. However, the physiological mechanisms underlying inbreeding depression are not well-known. The length of telomeres, the DNA sequences protecting chromosome ends, has been associated with health or fitness in several species. We investigated effects of inbreeding on early-life telomere length in two small island populations of wild house sparrows (Passer domesticus) known to be affected by inbreeding depression. Using genomic measures of inbreeding we found that inbred nestling house sparrows (n = 371) have significantly shorter telomeres. Using pedigree-based estimates of inbreeding we found a tendency for inbred nestling house sparrows to have shorter telomeres (n = 1195). This negative effect of inbreeding on telomere length may have been complemented by a heterosis effect resulting in longer telomeres in individuals that were less inbred than the population average. Furthermore, we found some evidence of stronger effects of inbreeding on telomere length in males than females. Thus, telomere length may reveal subtle costs of inbreeding in the wild and demonstrate a route by which inbreeding negatively impacts the physiological state of an organism already at early life-history stages.
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Contrasting genetic trajectories of endangered and expanding red fox populations in the western U.S. Heredity (Edinb) 2022; 129:123-136. [PMID: 35314789 PMCID: PMC9338314 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-022-00522-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
As anthropogenic disturbances continue to drive habitat loss and range contractions, the maintenance of evolutionary processes will increasingly require targeting measures to the population level, even for common and widespread species. Doing so requires detailed knowledge of population genetic structure, both to identify populations of conservation need and value, as well as to evaluate suitability of potential donor populations. We conducted a range-wide analysis of the genetic structure of red foxes in the contiguous western U.S., including a federally endangered distinct population segment of the Sierra Nevada subspecies, with the objectives of contextualizing field observations of relative scarcity in the Pacific mountains and increasing abundance in the cold desert basins of the Intermountain West. Using 31 autosomal microsatellites, along with mitochondrial and Y-chromosome markers, we found that populations of the Pacific mountains were isolated from one another and genetically depauperate (e.g., estimated Ne range = 3–9). In contrast, red foxes in the Intermountain regions showed relatively high connectivity and genetic diversity. Although most Intermountain red foxes carried indigenous western matrilines (78%) and patrilines (85%), the presence of nonindigenous haplotypes at lower elevations indicated admixture with fur-farm foxes and possibly expanding midcontinent populations as well. Our findings suggest that some Pacific mountain populations could likely benefit from increased connectivity (i.e., genetic rescue) but that nonnative admixture makes expanding populations in the Intermountain basins a non-ideal source. However, our results also suggest contact between Pacific mountain and Intermountain basin populations is likely to increase regardless, warranting consideration of risks and benefits of proactive measures to mitigate against unwanted effects of Intermountain gene flow.
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Abstract
SignificanceThe dynamics of deleterious variation under contrasting demographic scenarios remain poorly understood in spite of their relevance in evolutionary and conservation terms. Here we apply a genomic approach to study differences in the burden of deleterious alleles between the endangered Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) and the widespread Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx). Our analysis unveils a significantly lower deleterious burden in the former species that should be ascribed to genetic purging, that is, to the increased opportunities of selection against recessive homozygotes due to the inbreeding caused by its smaller population size, as illustrated by our analytical predictions. This research provides theoretical and empirical evidence on the evolutionary relevance of genetic purging under certain demographic conditions.
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44
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Rayne A, Blair S, Dale M, Flack B, Hollows J, Moraga R, Parata RN, Rupene M, Tamati‐Elliffe P, Wehi PM, Wylie MJ, Steeves TE. Weaving place‐based knowledge for culturally significant species in the age of genomics: Looking to the past to navigate the future. Evol Appl 2022; 15:751-772. [PMID: 35603033 PMCID: PMC9108313 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2021] [Revised: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Relationships with place provide critical context for characterizing biocultural diversity. Yet, genetic and genomic studies are rarely informed by Indigenous or local knowledge, processes, and practices, including the movement of culturally significant species. Here, we show how place‐based knowledge can better reveal the biocultural complexities of genetic or genomic data derived from culturally significant species. As a case study, we focus on culturally significant southern freshwater kōura (crayfish) in Aotearoa me Te Waipounamu (New Zealand, herein Aotearoa NZ). Our results, based on genotyping‐by‐sequencing markers, reveal strong population genetic structure along with signatures of population admixture in 19 genetically depauperate populations across the east coast of Te Waipounamu. Environment association and differentiation analyses for local adaptation also indicate a role for hydroclimatic variables—including temperature, precipitation, and water flow regimes—in shaping local adaptation in kōura. Through trusted partnerships between community and researchers, weaving genomic markers with place‐based knowledge has both provided invaluable context for the interpretation of data and created opportunities to reconnect people and place. We envisage such trusted partnerships guiding future genomic research for culturally significant species in Aotearoa NZ and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aisling Rayne
- University of Canterbury School of Biological Sciences Christchurch New Zealand
| | | | - Matthew Dale
- Waterscape Connections Ltd Dunedin New Zealand
- Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu Dunedin New Zealand
| | - Brendan Flack
- Kāti Huirapa Rūnaka ki Puketeraki Karitane New Zealand
| | | | - Roger Moraga
- Tea Break Bioinformatics Ltd Palmerston North New Zealand
| | | | - Makarini Rupene
- University of Canterbury Ngāi Tahu Research Centre Christchurch New Zealand
- Environment Canterbury Christchurch New Zealand
| | | | - Priscilla M Wehi
- University of Otago, Centre for Sustainability Dunedin New Zealand
| | - Matthew J Wylie
- Kāti Huirapa Rūnaka ki Puketeraki Karitane New Zealand
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited Nelson New Zealand
| | - Tammy E Steeves
- University of Canterbury School of Biological Sciences Christchurch New Zealand
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Formenti G, Theissinger K, Fernandes C, Bista I, Bombarely A, Bleidorn C, Ciofi C, Crottini A, Godoy JA, Höglund J, Malukiewicz J, Mouton A, Oomen RA, Paez S, Palsbøll PJ, Pampoulie C, Ruiz-López MJ, Svardal H, Theofanopoulou C, de Vries J, Waldvogel AM, Zhang G, Mazzoni CJ, Jarvis ED, Bálint M. The era of reference genomes in conservation genomics. Trends Ecol Evol 2022; 37:197-202. [PMID: 35086739 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2021.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Progress in genome sequencing now enables the large-scale generation of reference genomes. Various international initiatives aim to generate reference genomes representing global biodiversity. These genomes provide unique insights into genomic diversity and architecture, thereby enabling comprehensive analyses of population and functional genomics, and are expected to revolutionize conservation genomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulio Formenti
- The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Ave, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Kathrin Theissinger
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Georg-Voigt-Str. 14-16, 60325 Frankfurt/Main, Germany; University of Koblenz-Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, Fortstrasse 7, 76829 Landau, Germany; Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Georg-Voigt-Str. 14-16, 60325 Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| | - Carlos Fernandes
- CE3C - Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal; Faculdade de Psicologia, Universidade de Lisboa, Alameda da Universidade, 1649-013 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Iliana Bista
- University of Cambridge, Department of Genetics, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK; Wellcome Sanger Institute, CB10 1SA, Hinxton, UK
| | | | - Christoph Bleidorn
- University of Göttingen, Department of Animal Evolution and Biodiversity, Untere Karspüle, 2, 37073, Germany
| | - Claudio Ciofi
- University of Florence, Department of Biology, Via Madonna del Piano 6, Sesto Fiorentino (FI) 50019, Italy
| | - Angelica Crottini
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - José A Godoy
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Av. Américo Vespucio, 26, 41092, Spain
| | - Jacob Höglund
- Dept. of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, 75246, Sweden
| | | | - Alice Mouton
- InBios - Conservation Genetics Lab, University of Liege, Chemin de la Vallée 4, 4000, Belgium
| | - Rebekah A Oomen
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, University of Oslo, Blindernveien 31, 0371 Oslo, Norway; Centre for Coastal Research, University of Agder, Gimlemoen 25j, 4630 Kristiansand, Norway
| | - Sadye Paez
- The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Ave, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Per J Palsbøll
- Groningen Institute of Evolutionary Life Sciences University of Groningen Nijenborgh, 9747, AG, Groningen, the Netherlands; Center for Coastal Studies, 5 Holway Avenue, Provincetown, MA 02657, USA
| | - Christophe Pampoulie
- Marine and Freshwater Research Institute, Fornubúðir, 5, 220 Hanafjörður, Iceland
| | - María J Ruiz-López
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Av. Américo Vespucio, 26, 41092, Spain
| | - Hannes Svardal
- Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020, Belgium
| | | | - Jan de Vries
- University of Göttingen, Institute for Microbiology and Genetics, Dept. of Applied Bioinformatics, Goettingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), Campus Institute Data Science (CIDAS), Goldschmidtstr. 1, 37077, Germany
| | - Ann-Marie Waldvogel
- Institute of Zoology, University of Cologne, Zülpicherstrasse 47b, D-50674, Germany
| | - Guojie Zhang
- Villum Center for Biodiversity Genomics, Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, Build 3, Universitetsparken 15, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark; China National Genebank, BGI-Shenzhen, Jinsha Road, Dapeng District, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Camila J Mazzoni
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Alfred-Kowalke-Str 17, 10315 Berlin, Germany
| | - Erich D Jarvis
- The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Ave, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Miklós Bálint
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Georg-Voigt-Str. 14-16, 60325 Frankfurt/Main, Germany; Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Georg-Voigt-Str. 14-16, 60325 Frankfurt/Main, Germany; Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig University Gießen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392 Giessen, Germany.
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Kearns AM, Campana MG, Slikas B, Berry L, Saitoh T, Cibois A, Fleischer RC. Conservation genomics and systematics of a near-extinct island radiation. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:1995-2012. [PMID: 35119154 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 01/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Conservation benefits from incorporating genomics to explore the impacts of population declines, inbreeding, loss of genetic variation and hybridization. Here we use the near-extinct Mariana Islands reedwarbler radiation to showcase how ancient DNA approaches can allow insights into the population dynamics of extinct species and threatened populations for which historical museum specimens or material with low DNA yield (e.g., scats, feathers) are the only sources for DNA. Despite their having paraphyletic mtDNA, nuclear SNPs support the distinctiveness of critically endangered Acrocephalus hiwae and the other three species in the radiation that went extinct between the 1960s and 1990s. Two extinct species, A. yamashinae and A. luscinius, were deeply divergent from each other and from a third less differentiated lineage containing A. hiwae and extinct A. nijoi. Both mtDNA and SNPs suggest that the two isolated populations of A. hiwae from Saipan and Alamagan Islands are sufficiently distinct to warrant subspecies recognition and separate conservation management. We detected no significant differences in genetic diversity or inbreeding between Saipan and Alamagan, nor strong signatures of geographic structuring within either island. However, the implications of possible signatures of inbreeding in both Saipan and Alamagan, and long-term population declines in A. hiwae that predate modern anthropogenic threats require further study with denser population sampling. Our study highlights the value conservation genomics studies of island radiations have as windows onto the possible future for the world's biota as climate change and habitat destruction increasingly fragments their ranges and contributes to rapid declines in population abundances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna M Kearns
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian's National Zoological Park and Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC, 20008, USA
| | - Michael G Campana
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian's National Zoological Park and Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC, 20008, USA
| | - Beth Slikas
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian's National Zoological Park and Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC, 20008, USA.,Center for Evolution & Medicine, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA
| | - Lainie Berry
- Department of Lands and Natural Resources, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Saipan, MP, 96950, USA.,Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources-Division of Forestry and Wildlife, Honolulu, HI, 96813, USA
| | - Takema Saitoh
- Yamashina Institute for Ornithology, 115 Konoyama, Abiko, Chiba, 270-1145, Japan
| | - Alice Cibois
- Natural History Museum of Geneva, CP, 6434, 1211, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Robert C Fleischer
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian's National Zoological Park and Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC, 20008, USA
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Adams PE, Crist AB, Young EM, Willis JH, Phillips PC, Fierst JL. Slow Recovery from Inbreeding Depression Generated by the Complex Genetic Architecture of Segregating Deleterious Mutations. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:msab330. [PMID: 34791426 PMCID: PMC8789292 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The deleterious effects of inbreeding have been of extreme importance to evolutionary biology, but it has been difficult to characterize the complex interactions between genetic constraints and selection that lead to fitness loss and recovery after inbreeding. Haploid organisms and selfing organisms like the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans are capable of rapid recovery from the fixation of novel deleterious mutation; however, the potential for recovery and genomic consequences of inbreeding in diploid, outcrossing organisms are not well understood. We sought to answer two questions: 1) Can a diploid, outcrossing population recover from inbreeding via standing genetic variation and new mutation? and 2) How does allelic diversity change during recovery? We inbred C. remanei, an outcrossing relative of C. elegans, through brother-sister mating for 30 generations followed by recovery at large population size. Inbreeding reduced fitness but, surprisingly, recovery from inbreeding at large populations sizes generated only very moderate fitness recovery after 300 generations. We found that 65% of ancestral single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were fixed in the inbred population, far fewer than the theoretical expectation of ∼99%. Under recovery, 36 SNPs across 30 genes involved in alimentary, muscular, nervous, and reproductive systems changed reproducibly across replicates, indicating that strong selection for fitness recovery does exist. Our results indicate that recovery from inbreeding depression via standing genetic variation and mutation is likely to be constrained by the large number of segregating deleterious variants present in natural populations, limiting the capacity for recovery of small populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula E Adams
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
| | - Anna B Crist
- Department of Genomes and Genetics, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Ellen M Young
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | - John H Willis
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | - Patrick C Phillips
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | - Janna L Fierst
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
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48
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Xie HX, Liang XX, Chen ZQ, Li WM, Mi CR, Li M, Wu ZJ, Zhou XM, Du WG. Ancient demographics determine the effectiveness of genetic purging in endangered lizards. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 39:6468625. [PMID: 34919713 PMCID: PMC8788223 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The purging of deleterious alleles has been hypothesized to mitigate inbreeding depression, but its effectiveness in endangered species remains debatable. To understand how deleterious alleles are purged during population contractions, we analyzed genomes of the endangered Chinese crocodile lizard (Shinisaurus crocodilurus), which is the only surviving species of its family and currently isolated into small populations. Population genomic analyses revealed four genetically distinct conservation units and sharp declines in both effective population size and genetic diversity. By comparing the relative genetic load across populations and conducting genomic simulations, we discovered that seriously deleterious alleles were effectively purged during population contractions in this relict species, although inbreeding generally enhanced the genetic burden. However, despite with the initial purging, our simulations also predicted that seriously deleterious alleles will gradually accumulate under prolonged bottlenecking. Therefore, we emphasize the importance of maintaining a minimum population capacity and increasing the functional genetic diversity in conservation efforts to preserve populations of the crocodile lizard and other endangered species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Xin Xie
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xi-Xi Liang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Zhi-Qiang Chen
- Novogene Bioinformatics Institute, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Wei-Ming Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Chun-Rong Mi
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Ming Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Zheng-Jun Wu
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection, Ministry of Education (Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, 541004, China ).,Guangxi Key Laboratory of Rare and Endangered Animal Ecology, College of Life Science, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, 541006, China
| | - Xu-Ming Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Wei-Guo Du
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
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49
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The effect of inbreeding, body size and morphology on health in dog breeds. Canine Med Genet 2021; 8:12. [PMID: 34852838 PMCID: PMC8638537 DOI: 10.1186/s40575-021-00111-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Dog breeds are known for their distinctive body shape, size, coat color, head type and behaviors, features that are relatively similar across members of a breed. Unfortunately, dog breeds are also characterized by distinct predispositions to disease. We explored the relationships between inbreeding, morphology and health using genotype based inbreeding estimates, body weight and insurance data for morbidity. Results The average inbreeding based on genotype across 227 breeds was Fadj = 0.249 (95% CI 0.235–0.263). There were significant differences in morbidity between breeds with low and high inbreeding (H = 16.49, P = 0.0004). There was also a significant difference in morbidity between brachycephalic breeds and non-brachycephalic breeds (P = 0.0048) and between functionally distinct groups of breeds (H = 14.95 P < 0.0001). Morbidity was modeled using robust regression analysis and both body weight (P < 0.0001) and inbreeding (P = 0.013) were significant (r2 = 0.77). Smaller less inbred breeds were healthier than larger more inbred breeds. Conclusions In this study, body size and inbreeding along with deleterious morphologies contributed to increases in necessary health care in dogs. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40575-021-00111-4.
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50
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Rovelli G, Luigi-Sierra MG, Guan D, Sbarra F, Quaglia A, Sarti FM, Amills M, Lasagna E. Evolution of inbreeding: a gaze into five Italian beef cattle breeds history. PeerJ 2021; 9:e12049. [PMID: 34692245 PMCID: PMC8483007 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
In the last decades, intensive selection programs have led to sustained increases of inbreeding in dairy cattle, a feature that might have adverse consequences on the viability and phenotypic performance of their offspring. This study aimed to determine the evolution of inbreeding of five Italian beef cattle breeds (Marchigiana, Chianina, Romagnola, Maremmana, and Podolica) during a period of almost 20 years (2002–2019). The estimates of Ho, He, Fhat2, and Fped averaged across years (2002–2019) in the studied breeds fluctuated between 0.340–0.401, 0.348–0.392, –0.121–0.072, and 0.000–0.068, respectively. Moreover, annual rates of increase of the estimated inbreeding coefficients have been very low (Fhat2 = 0.01–0.02%; Fped = 0.003–0.004%). The use of a high number of bulls combined with strategies implemented by the Association of Italian Beef Cattle Breeders ANABIC to minimize inbreeding might explain these results. Despite the fact that diversity and inbreeding have remained quite stable during the last two decades, we have detected a sustained decrease of the population effective size of these five breeds. Such results should be interpreted with caution due to the inherent difficulty of estimating Ne from SNPs data in a reliable manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Rovelli
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences (DSA3), University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.,Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG), CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB, Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maria Gracia Luigi-Sierra
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG), CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB, Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Dailu Guan
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG), CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB, Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States of America
| | - Fiorella Sbarra
- National Association of Italian Beef-Cattle Breeders (ANABIC), San Martino in Colle, Perugia, Italy
| | - Andrea Quaglia
- National Association of Italian Beef-Cattle Breeders (ANABIC), San Martino in Colle, Perugia, Italy
| | - Francesca Maria Sarti
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences (DSA3), University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Marcel Amills
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG), CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB, Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.,Departament de Ciència Animal i dels Aliments, Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Emiliano Lasagna
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences (DSA3), University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
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