1
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Koper L, Koretsky IA, Rahmat SJ. The tympanic region of the skull in extant pinnipeds: A pilot study of auditory morphological disparity using linear morphometric principal component analysis. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2024; 307:3021-3040. [PMID: 38332639 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25387] [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: 12/17/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Pinnipeds are unique semiaquatic taxa possessing adaptations to hear efficiently both in water and on land. Research over the past century is extremely limited on the auditory apparatus morphology of pinnipeds, which include the Families Phocidae (true seals), Otariidae (sea lions/fur seals), and Odobenidae (walruses). Our extensive literature review revealed inaccurate terminology of this region, with details corresponding only to terrestrial taxa, and a severe lack of information due to very few current studies. This demonstrates the need for evaluation and comparison of the auditory morphologies of modern terrestrial and semiaquatic carnivorans in relation to hearing. This initial study compares tympanic bullar morphologies of Phocidae to other pinnipeds and representatives of terrestrial carnivoran families. Morphological correlations of the basicranial auditory region were also compared within phocid subfamilies. Eleven skull measurements and about eleven calculated ratios were included in multiple principal component analyses to determine what areas of the auditory apparatus had the most significant morphological variation. This is the first study using this methodology, especially in reference to the hearing adaptations of pinnipeds, specifically in phocids. Results demonstrate distinct trends in phocid bullar morphology relative to other pinnipeds. Analyses reveal that: (1) phocids generally have different bullar morphology than otariids and odobenids; (2) Neomonachus schauinslandi (Hawaiian monk seal) and Neomonachus tropicalis (Caribbean monk seal) have unique morphology compared to phocids and other pinnipeds. Future work with increased number of specimens will further substantiate these findings and both ontogenetic and sexual variations will be examined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsey Koper
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Biology, Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Howard University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Irina A Koretsky
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Biology, Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Howard University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Sulman J Rahmat
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Biology, Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Howard University, Washington, DC, USA
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2
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Tensen L, Fischer K. Evaluating hybrid speciation and swamping in wild carnivores with a decision-tree approach. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2024; 38:e14197. [PMID: 37811741 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Hybridization is an important evolutionary force with a principal role in the origin of new species, known as hybrid speciation. However, ongoing hybridization can create hybrid swamping, in which parental genomes are completely lost. This can become a biodiversity threat if it involves species that have adapted to certain environmental conditions and occur nowhere else. Because conservation scientists commonly have a negative attitude toward hybrids, it is important to improve understanding of the influence of interspecific gene flow on the persistence of species. We reviewed the literature on species hybridization to build a list of all known cases in the order Carnivora. To examine the relative impact, we also noted level of introgression, whether fertile offspring were produced, and whether there was mention of negative or positive evolutionary effects (hybrid speciation and swamping). To evaluate the conservation implications of hybrids, we developed a decision-making tree with which to determine which actions should be taken to manage hybrid species. We found 53 hybrids involving 68 unique taxa, which is roughly 23% of all carnivore species. They mainly involved monophyletic (83%) and sympatric species (75%). For 2 species, the outcome of the assessment was to eliminate or restrict the hybrids: Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis) and Scottish wildcat (Felis silvestris silvestris). Both species hybridize with their domestic conspecifics. For all other cases, we suggest hybrids be protected in the same manner as native species. We found no evidence of genomic extinction in Carnivora. To the contrary, some species appear to be of hybrid origin, such as the Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) and African golden wolf (Canis lupaster). Other positive outcomes of hybridization are novel genetic diversity, adaptation to extreme environments, and increased reproductive fitness. These outcomes are particularly valuable for counterbalancing genetic drift and enabling adaptive introgression in a human-dominated world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Tensen
- Institute for Integrated Natural Sciences, Department of Zoology, University of Koblenz, Koblenz, Germany
- Centre for Ecological Genomics and Wildlife Conservation, Department of Zoology, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Klaus Fischer
- Institute for Integrated Natural Sciences, Department of Zoology, University of Koblenz, Koblenz, Germany
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3
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Rosing-Asvid A, Löytynoja A, Momigliano P, Hansen RG, Scharff-Olsen CH, Valtonen M, Kammonen J, Dietz R, Rigét FF, Ferguson SH, Lydersen C, Kovacs KM, Holland DM, Jernvall J, Auvinen P, Tange Olsen M. An evolutionarily distinct ringed seal in the Ilulissat Icefjord. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:5932-5943. [PMID: 37855154 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17163] [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: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
The Earth's polar regions are low rates of inter- and intraspecific diversification. An extreme mammalian example is the Arctic ringed seal (Pusa hispida hispida), which is assumed to be panmictic across its circumpolar Arctic range. Yet, local Inuit communities in Greenland and Canada recognize several regional variants; a finding supported by scientific studies of body size variation. It is however unclear whether this phenotypic variation reflects plasticity, morphs or distinct ecotypes. Here, we combine genomic, biologging and survey data, to document the existence of a unique ringed seal ecotype in the Ilulissat Icefjord (locally 'Kangia'), Greenland; a UNESCO World Heritage site, which is home to the most productive marine-terminating glacier in the Arctic. Genomic analyses reveal a divergence of Kangia ringed seals from other Arctic ringed seals about 240 kya, followed by secondary contact since the Last Glacial Maximum. Despite ongoing gene flow, multiple genomic regions appear under strong selection in Kangia ringed seals, including candidate genes associated with pelage coloration, growth and osmoregulation, potentially explaining the Kangia seal's phenotypic and behavioural uniqueness. The description of 'hidden' diversity and adaptations in yet another Arctic species merits a reassessment of the evolutionary processes that have shaped Arctic diversity and the traditional view of this region as an evolutionary freezer. Our study highlights the value of indigenous knowledge in guiding science and calls for efforts to identify distinct populations or ecotypes to understand how these might respond differently to environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ari Löytynoja
- Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Paolo Momigliano
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics, and Immunology, Universidade de Vigo, Vigo, Spain
- Area of Ecology and Biodiversity, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | | | | | - Mia Valtonen
- Wildlife Ecology Group, Natural Resources Institute Finland, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Juhana Kammonen
- Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Rune Dietz
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | | | | | | | - Kit M Kovacs
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, Tromsø, Norway
| | - David M Holland
- Mathematics and Atmosphere/Ocean Science, Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University, New York City, New York, USA
| | - Jukka Jernvall
- Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Petri Auvinen
- Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Morten Tange Olsen
- Section for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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4
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Asadobay P, Urquía DO, Künzel S, Espinoza-Ulloa SA, Vences M, Páez-Rosas D. Time-calibrated phylogeny and full mitogenome sequence of the Galapagos sea lion ( Zalophus wollebaeki) from scat DNA. PeerJ 2023; 11:e16047. [PMID: 37790631 PMCID: PMC10542389 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The Galapagos sea lion, Zalophus wollebaeki, is an endemic and endangered otariid, which is considered as a sentinel species of ecosystem dynamics in the Galapagos archipelago. Mitochondrial DNA is an important tool in phylogenetic and population genetic inference. In this work we use Illumina sequencing to complement the mitogenomic resources for Zalophus genus-the other two species employed Sanger sequencing-by a complete mitochondrial genome and a molecular clock of this species, which is not present in any case. Materials and Methods We used DNA obtained from a fresh scat sample of a Galapagos sea lion and shotgun-sequenced it on the Illumina NextSeq platform. The obtained raw reads were processed using the GetOrganelle software to filter the mitochondrial Zalophus DNA reads (∼16% survive the filtration), assemble them, and set up a molecular clock. Results From the obtained 3,511,116 raw reads, we were able to assemble a full mitogenome of a length of 16,676 bp, consisting of 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNAs (tRNA), and two ribosomal RNAs (rRNA). A time-calibrated phylogeny confirmed the phylogenetic position of Z. wollebaeki in a clade with Z. californianus, and Z. japonicus, and sister to Z. californianus; as well as establishing the divergence time for Z. wollebaeki 0.65 million years ago. Our study illustrates the possibility of seamlessly sequencing full mitochondrial genomes from fresh scat samples of marine mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pacarina Asadobay
- Galapagos Science Center, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Isla San Cristóbal, Islas Galápagos, Ecuador
| | - Diego O. Urquía
- Galapagos Science Center, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Isla San Cristóbal, Islas Galápagos, Ecuador
| | - Sven Künzel
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute, Plön, Germany
| | - Sebastian A. Espinoza-Ulloa
- Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Pichincha, Ecuador
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
| | - Miguel Vences
- Zoological Institute, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Diego Páez-Rosas
- Galapagos Science Center, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Isla San Cristóbal, Islas Galápagos, Ecuador
- Oficina Técnica San Cristóbal, Dirección Parque Nacional Galápagos, Isla San Cristóbal, Islas Galápagos, Ecuador
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5
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Austin RM, Eriksen PM, Bachmann L. Complete mitochondrial genome of the Galápagos sea lion, Zalophuswollebaeki (Carnivora, Otariidae): paratype specimen confirms separate species status. Zookeys 2023; 1166:307-313. [PMID: 38328668 PMCID: PMC10848830 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1166.103247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
The endangered Galápagos sea lion (Zalophuswollebaeki) inhabits the Galápagos Islands off the coast of Ecuador. We present a complete mitochondrial genome (16 465 bp) of a female paratype from the collections of the Natural History Museum Oslo, Norway, assembled from next-generation sequencing reads. It contains all canonical protein-coding, rRNA, tRNA genes, and the D-loop region. Sequence similarity is 99.93% to a previously published conspecific mitogenome sequence and 99.37% to the mitogenome sequence of the sister species Z.californianus. Sequence similarity of the D-loop region of the Z.wollebaeki paratype mitogenome is >99%, while the sequence difference to the Z.californianus sequences exceeds 2.5%. The paratype mitogenome sequence supports the taxonomic status of Z.wollebaeki as a separate species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita M. Austin
- Frontiers in Evolutionary Zoology, Natural History Museum of Oslo, University of Oslo, Oslo, NorwayUniversity of OsloOsloNorway
- Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C., USANational Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian InstitutionWashington D.C.United States of America
| | - Pia Merete Eriksen
- Frontiers in Evolutionary Zoology, Natural History Museum of Oslo, University of Oslo, Oslo, NorwayUniversity of OsloOsloNorway
| | - Lutz Bachmann
- Frontiers in Evolutionary Zoology, Natural History Museum of Oslo, University of Oslo, Oslo, NorwayUniversity of OsloOsloNorway
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6
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Lopes F, Oliveira LR, Beux Y, Kessler A, Cárdenas-Alayza S, Majluf P, Páez-Rosas D, Chaves J, Crespo E, Brownell RL, Baylis AMM, Sepúlveda M, Franco-Trecu V, Loch C, Robertson BC, Peart CR, Wolf JBW, Bonatto SL. Genomic evidence for homoploid hybrid speciation in a marine mammal apex predator. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadf6601. [PMID: 37134171 PMCID: PMC10156116 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adf6601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Hybridization is widespread and constitutes an important source of genetic variability and evolution. In animals, its role in generating novel and independent lineages (hybrid speciation) has been strongly debated, with only a few cases supported by genomic data. The South American fur seal (SAfs) Arctocephalus australis is a marine apex predator of Pacific and Atlantic waters, with a disjunct set of populations in Peru and Northern Chile [Peruvian fur seal (Pfs)] with controversial taxonomic status. We demonstrate, using complete genome and reduced representation sequencing, that the Pfs is a genetically distinct species with an admixed genome that originated from hybridization between the SAfs and the Galapagos fur seal (Arctocephalus galapagoensis) ~400,000 years ago. Our results strongly support the origin of Pfs by homoploid hybrid speciation over alternative introgression scenarios. This study highlights the role of hybridization in promoting species-level biodiversity in large vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Lopes
- Escola de Ciências da Saúde e da Vida, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, PUCRS, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Mamíferos, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos, São Leopoldo, Brazil
- Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Larissa R Oliveira
- Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Grupo de Estudos de Mamíferos Aquáticos do Rio Grande do Sul (GEMARS), Torres, Brazil
| | - Yago Beux
- Escola de Ciências da Saúde e da Vida, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, PUCRS, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Amanda Kessler
- Escola de Ciências da Saúde e da Vida, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, PUCRS, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Susana Cárdenas-Alayza
- Centro para la Sostenibilidad Ambiental, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
- Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas y Fisiológicas, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Patricia Majluf
- Centro para la Sostenibilidad Ambiental, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Diego Páez-Rosas
- Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, COCIBA, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador
- Dirección del Parque Nacional Galápagos, Oficina Técnica San Cristobal, Islas Galápagos, Ecuador
| | - Jaime Chaves
- Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, COCIBA, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador
- Galapagos Science Center, Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, Ecuador
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1800 Holloway Ave, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Enrique Crespo
- Laboratório de Mamíferos Marinos, CESIMAR - CCT CENPAT, CONICET, Puerto Madryn, Argentina
| | - Robert L Brownell
- Southwest Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Fisheries, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | | | - Maritza Sepúlveda
- Centro de Investigación y Gestión de Recursos Naturales (CIGREN), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Valentina Franco-Trecu
- Departamento de Ecología y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Carolina Loch
- Sir John Walsh Research Institute, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | | | - Claire R Peart
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, LMU Munich, München, Germany
| | - Jochen B W Wolf
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, LMU Munich, München, Germany
| | - Sandro L Bonatto
- Escola de Ciências da Saúde e da Vida, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, PUCRS, Porto Alegre, Brazil
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7
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Galatius A, Svendsen MS, Messer D, Valtonen M, McGowen M, Sabin R, Dahl VA, Dahl AB, Olsen MT. Range-wide variation in grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) skull morphology. ZOOLOGY 2022; 153:126023. [PMID: 35717730 DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2022.126023] [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: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The large interspecific variation in marine mammal skull and dental morphology reflects ecological specialisations to foraging and communication. At the intraspecific level, the drivers of skull shape variation are less well understood, having implications for identifying putative local foraging adaptations and delineating populations and subspecies for taxonomy, systematics, management and conservation. Here, we assess the range-wide intraspecific variation in 71 grey seal skulls by 3D surface scanning, collection of cranial landmarks and geometric morphometric analysis. We find that skull shape differs slightly between populations in the Northwest Atlantic, Northeast Atlantic and Baltic Sea. However, there was a large shape overlap between populations and variation was substantially larger among animals within populations than between. We hypothesize that this pattern of intraspecific variation in grey seal skull shape results from balancing selection or phenotypic plasticity allowing for a remarkably generalist foraging behaviour. Moreover, the large overlap in skull shape between populations implies that the separate subspecies status of Atlantic and Baltic Sea grey seals is questionable from a morphological point of view.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anders Galatius
- Marine Mammal Research, Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Denmark.
| | | | - Dolores Messer
- Section for Visual Computing, Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Technical University of Denmark, Denmark
| | - Mia Valtonen
- Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Finland; Wildlife Ecology Group, Natural Resources Institute, Finland
| | - Michael McGowen
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Richard Sabin
- Division of Vertebrates, Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - Vedrana Andersen Dahl
- Section for Visual Computing, Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Technical University of Denmark, Denmark
| | - Anders Bjorholm Dahl
- Section for Visual Computing, Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Technical University of Denmark, Denmark
| | - Morten Tange Olsen
- Section for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Denmark; Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
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8
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McLaughlin WNF, Boatman CJ, Davis EB, Hopkins SSB. Total Dental Occlusal Area as a Feeding Constraint Feature in Extant Walruses (Odobenus rosmarus), and Implications for the Evolution of Molluscivory in Odobenidae. J MAMM EVOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10914-022-09603-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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9
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Stronen AV, Norman AJ, Vander Wal E, Paquet PC. The relevance of genetic structure in ecotype designation and conservation management. Evol Appl 2022; 15:185-202. [PMID: 35233242 PMCID: PMC8867706 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The concept of ecotypes is complex, partly because of its interdisciplinary nature, but the idea is intrinsically valuable for evolutionary biology and applied conservation. The complex nature of ecotypes has spurred some confusion and inconsistencies in the literature, thereby limiting broader theoretical development and practical application. We provide suggestions for how incorporating genetic analyses can ease confusion and help define ecotypes. We approach this by systematically reviewing 112 publications across taxa that simultaneously mention the terms ecotype, conservation and management, to examine the current use of the term in the context of conservation and management. We found that most ecotype studies involve fish, mammals and plants with a focus on habitat use, which at 60% was the most common criterion used for categorization of ecotypes. Only 53% of the studies incorporated genetic analyses, and major discrepancies in available genomic resources among taxa could have contributed to confusion about the role of genetic structure in delineating ecotypes. Our results show that the rapid advances in genetic methods, also for nonmodel organisms, can help clarify the spatiotemporal distribution of adaptive and neutral genetic variation and their relevance to ecotype designations. Genetic analyses can offer empirical support for the ecotype concept and provide a timely measure of evolutionary potential, especially in changing environmental conditions. Genetic variation that is often difficult to detect, including polygenic traits influenced by small contributions from several genes, can be vital for adaptation to rapidly changing environments. Emerging ecotypes may signal speciation in progress, and findings from genome-enabled organisms can help clarify important selective factors driving ecotype development and persistence, and thereby improve preservation of interspecific genetic diversity. Incorporation of genetic analyses in ecotype studies will help connect evolutionary biology and applied conservation, including that of problematic groups such as natural hybrid organisms and urban or anthropogenic ecotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Astrid V. Stronen
- Department of BiologyBiotechnical FacultyUniversity of LjubljanaLjubljanaSlovenia
- Department of Biotechnology and Life SciencesInsubria UniversityVareseItaly
- Department of Chemistry and BioscienceAalborg UniversityAalborgDenmark
| | - Anita J. Norman
- Department of Fish, Wildlife and Environmental StudiesSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUmeåSweden
| | - Eric Vander Wal
- Department of BiologyMemorial University of NewfoundlandSt. John’sNLCanada
| | - Paul C. Paquet
- Department of GeographyUniversity of VictoriaVictoriaBCCanada
- Raincoast Conservation FoundationSidneyBCCanada
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10
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Liu X, Schjøtt SR, Granquist SM, Rosing-Asvid A, Dietz R, Teilmann J, Galatius A, Cammen K, O Corry-Crowe G, Harding K, Härkönen T, Hall A, Carroll EL, Kobayashi Y, Hammill M, Stenson G, Frie AK, Lydersen C, Kovacs KM, Andersen LW, Hoffman JI, Goodman SJ, Vieira FG, Heller R, Moltke I, Tange Olsen M. Origin and expansion of the world's most widespread pinniped: range-wide population genomics of the harbour seal (Phoca vitulina). Mol Ecol 2022; 31:1682-1699. [PMID: 35068013 PMCID: PMC9306526 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Revised: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The harbour seal (Phoca vitulina) is the most widely distributed pinniped, occupying a wide variety of habitats and climatic zones across the Northern Hemisphere. Intriguingly, the harbour seal is also one of the most philopatric seals, raising questions as to how it colonised virtually the whole of the Northern Hemisphere. To shed light on the origin, remarkable range expansion, population structure and genetic diversity of this species, we used genotyping-by-sequencing to analyse ~13,500 biallelic SNPs from 286 individuals sampled from 22 localities across the species' range. Our results point to a Northeast Pacific origin, colonisation of the North Atlantic via the Canadian Arctic, and subsequent stepping-stone range expansions across the North Atlantic from North America to Europe, accompanied by a successive loss of genetic diversity. Our analyses further revealed a deep divergence between modern North Pacific and North Atlantic harbour seals, with finer-scale genetic structure at regional and local scales consistent with strong philopatry. The study provides new insights into the harbour seal's remarkable ability to colonise and adapt to a wide range of habitats. Furthermore, it has implications for current harbour seal subspecies delineations and highlights the need for international and national red lists and management plans to ensure the protection of genetically and demographically isolated populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaodong Liu
- Section for Computational and RNA Biology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Sandra M Granquist
- Icelandic Seal Centre, Höfðabraut 6, 530, Hvammstangi, Iceland.,Marine and Freshwater Research Institute, Institute of Freshwater Fisheries Fornubúðir 5, 220, Hafnarfjörður, Iceland
| | | | - Rune Dietz
- Marine Mammal Research, Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Jonas Teilmann
- Marine Mammal Research, Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Anders Galatius
- Marine Mammal Research, Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark
| | | | - Greg O Corry-Crowe
- Wildlife Evolution and Behavior Program, Florida Atlantic University, USA
| | - Karin Harding
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
| | | | - Ailsa Hall
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St. Andrews, UK, KY16 8LB
| | - Emma L Carroll
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1010, New Zealand
| | - Yumi Kobayashi
- Laboratory of Animal Ecology, Research Faculty of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Japan
| | - Mike Hammill
- Maurice Lamontagne Institute, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, P.O. Box 1000, Mont-Joli, QC, Canada
| | - Garry Stenson
- Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Centre, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, P.O. Box 5667, St. John's NL, Canada
| | | | | | - Kit M Kovacs
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, 9296, Tromsø, Norway
| | | | - Joseph I Hoffman
- Department of Animal Behaviour, University of Bielefeld, 33501, Bielefeld, Germany.,British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 OET, UK
| | - Simon J Goodman
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, UK
| | - Filipe G Vieira
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospitalet, Denmark
| | - Rasmus Heller
- Section for Computational and RNA Biology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ida Moltke
- Section for Computational and RNA Biology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Morten Tange Olsen
- Section for Evolutionary Genomics, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
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11
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Ladds M, Rosen D, Gerlinsky C, Slip D, Harcourt R. Diving deep into trouble: the role of foraging strategy and morphology in adapting to a changing environment. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2020; 8:coaa111. [PMID: 34168880 PMCID: PMC8218901 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coaa111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2019] [Revised: 05/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Physiology places constraints on an animal's ability to forage and those unable to adapt to changing conditions may face increased challenges to reproduce and survive. As the global marine environment continues to change, small, air-breathing, endothermic marine predators such as otariids (fur seals and sea lions) and particularly females, who are constrained by central place foraging during breeding, may experience increased difficulties in successfully obtaining adequate food resources. We explored whether physiological limits of female otariids may be innately related to body morphology (fur seals vs sea lions) and/or dictate foraging strategies (epipelagic vs mesopelagic or benthic). We conducted a systematic review of the increased body of literature since the original reviews of Costa et al. (When does physiology limit the foraging behaviour of freely diving mammals? Int Congr Ser 2004;1275:359-366) and Arnould and Costa (Sea lions in drag, fur seals incognito: insights from the otariid deviants. In Sea Lions of the World Fairbanks. Alaska Sea Grant College Program, Alaska, USA, pp. 309-324, 2006) on behavioural (dive duration and depth) and physiological (total body oxygen stores and diving metabolic rates) parameters. We estimated calculated aerobic dive limit (cADL-estimated duration of aerobic dives) for species and used simulations to predict the proportion of dives that exceeded the cADL. We tested whether body morphology or foraging strategy was the primary predictor of these behavioural and physiological characteristics. We found that the foraging strategy compared to morphology was a better predictor of most parameters, including whether a species was more likely to exceed their cADL during a dive and the ratio of dive time to cADL. This suggests that benthic and mesopelagic divers are more likely to be foraging at their physiological capacity. For species operating near their physiological capacity (regularly exceeding their cADL), the ability to switch strategies is limited as the cost of foraging deeper and longer is disproportionally high, unless it is accompanied by physiological adaptations. It is proposed that some otariids may not have the ability to switch foraging strategies and so be unable adapt to a changing oceanic ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monique Ladds
- Marine Ecosystems Team, Department of Conservation, Wellington 6011, New Zealand
- Marine Predator Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences,
Macquarie University, North Ryde 2113, Australia
| | - David Rosen
- Marine Mammal Research Unit, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries,
University of British Columbia, Vancouver V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Carling Gerlinsky
- Marine Mammal Research Unit, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries,
University of British Columbia, Vancouver V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - David Slip
- Marine Predator Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences,
Macquarie University, North Ryde 2113, Australia
- Taronga Conservation Society Australia, Mosman 2088, Australia
| | - Robert Harcourt
- Marine Predator Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences,
Macquarie University, North Ryde 2113, Australia
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12
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Lopes F, Oliveira LR, Kessler A, Beux Y, Crespo E, Cárdenas-Alayza S, Majluf P, Sepúlveda M, Brownell RL, Franco-Trecu V, Páez-Rosas D, Chaves J, Loch C, Robertson BC, Acevedo-Whitehouse K, Elorriaga-Verplancken FR, Kirkman SP, Peart CR, Wolf JBW, Bonatto SL. Phylogenomic Discordance in the Eared Seals is best explained by Incomplete Lineage Sorting following Explosive Radiation in the Southern Hemisphere. Syst Biol 2020; 70:786-802. [PMID: 33367817 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syaa099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The phylogeny and systematics of fur seals and sea lions (Otariidae) have long been studied with diverse data types, including an increasing amount of molecular data. However, only a few phylogenetic relationships have reached acceptance because of strong gene-tree species tree discordance. Divergence times estimates in the group also vary largely between studies. These uncertainties impeded the understanding of the biogeographical history of the group, such as when and how trans-equatorial dispersal and subsequent speciation events occurred. Here, we used high-coverage genome-wide sequencing for 14 of the 15 species of Otariidae to elucidate the phylogeny of the family and its bearing on the taxonomy and biogeographical history. Despite extreme topological discordance among gene trees, we found a fully supported species tree that agrees with the few well-accepted relationships and establishes monophyly of the genus Arctocephalus. Our data support a relatively recent trans-hemispheric dispersal at the base of a southern clade, which rapidly diversified into six major lineages between 3 and 2.5 Ma. Otaria diverged first, followed by Phocarctos and then four major lineages within Arctocephalus. However, we found Zalophus to be nonmonophyletic, with California (Zalophus californianus) and Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) grouping closer than the Galapagos sea lion (Zalophus wollebaeki) with evidence for introgression between the two genera. Overall, the high degree of genealogical discordance was best explained by incomplete lineage sorting resulting from quasi-simultaneous speciation within the southern clade with introgresssion playing a subordinate role in explaining the incongruence among and within prior phylogenetic studies of the family. [Hybridization; ILS; phylogenomics; Pleistocene; Pliocene; monophyly.].
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Lopes
- Escola de Ciências da Saúde e da Vida, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, 90619-900 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.,Laboratório de Ecologia de Mamíferos, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos, São Leopoldo, RS, Brazil
| | - Larissa R Oliveira
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Mamíferos, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos, São Leopoldo, RS, Brazil.,GEMARS, Grupo de Estudos de Mamíferos Aquáticos do Rio Grande do Sul, 95560-000 Torres, RS, Brazil
| | - Amanda Kessler
- Escola de Ciências da Saúde e da Vida, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, 90619-900 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Yago Beux
- Escola de Ciências da Saúde e da Vida, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, 90619-900 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Enrique Crespo
- Centro Nacional Patagónico - CENPAT, CONICET, Puerto Madryn, Argentina
| | - Susana Cárdenas-Alayza
- Centro para la Sostenibilidad Ambiental, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Patricia Majluf
- Centro para la Sostenibilidad Ambiental, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Maritza Sepúlveda
- Centro de Investigación y Gestión de Recursos Naturales (CIGREN), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Robert L Brownell
- Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, La Jolla, USA
| | - Valentina Franco-Trecu
- Departamento de Ecología y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Diego Páez-Rosas
- Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, COCIBA, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Jaime Chaves
- Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, COCIBA, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador.,Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1800 Holloway Ave, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Carolina Loch
- Sir John Walsh Research Institute, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | | | - Karina Acevedo-Whitehouse
- Unit for Basic and Applied Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Querétaro, Mexico
| | | | - Stephen P Kirkman
- Department of Environmental Affairs, Oceans and Coasts, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Claire R Peart
- Department Biologie II, Division of Evolutionary Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Münich, Germany
| | - Jochen B W Wolf
- Department Biologie II, Division of Evolutionary Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Münich, Germany
| | - Sandro L Bonatto
- Escola de Ciências da Saúde e da Vida, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, 90619-900 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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13
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García-Varela M, Masper A, Crespo EA, Hernández-Orts JS. Genetic diversity and phylogeography of Corynosoma australe Johnston, 1937 (Acanthocephala: Polymorphidae), an endoparasite of otariids from the Americas in the northern and southern hemispheres. Parasitol Int 2020; 80:102205. [PMID: 33045410 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2020.102205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 09/06/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Adult specimens of Corynosoma australe Johnston, 1937 were recorded from the intestines of California sea lions, Zalophus californianus (Lesson), from Baja California Peninsula, Mexico, whereas larval forms were collected from two fish species on the Argentinian coast. Adult specimens of C. australe were morphologically characterized by having a cylindrical proboscis with 18-20 rows of 12-14 hooks per row and a cylindrical trunk expanded anteriorly into a disk with tiny, triangular spines spreading almost to three quarters of the hind-trunk in males and to the posterior body end in females. The aim of this study was to explore the genetic diversity and systematic position of C. australe distributed in the Americas. Newly generated sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox 1) gene were compared with sequences available from GenBank. Phylogenetic analyses performed with the cox 1 dataset using maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference showed that the 11 new sequences of C. australe recovered from the California sea lion in northern Mexico plus the six sequences from Argentinian seashores formed a clade with other sequences of specimens previously identified as C. australe. The intraspecific genetic divergence among the isolates was very low, ranging from 1 to 1.7%, and in combination with the phylogenetic trees confirmed that the isolates belonged to the same species. The cox 1 haplotype network inferred with 27 sequences revealed 18 haplotypes divided into two clusters clearly separated from each other by 5 substitutions. The first cluster corresponded to specimens from the Northern Hemisphere (United States of America and Mexico), and the second corresponded to specimens from the Southern Hemisphere (Argentina and Brazil). The current evidence suggests that C. australe has an amphitemperate distribution and is associated mainly with otariids with secondary and independent colonization events to other mammals and the Magellanic penguin in the Southern Hemisphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martín García-Varela
- Departamento de Zoología, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Avenida Universidad 3000, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 Mexico, City, Mexico.
| | - Alice Masper
- Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, Sánchez Taboada Carret. al Varadero Nacional, km 6.6, Col. Las Playitas, Guaymas, Sector Varadero, Las Playitas, 85480 Heroica Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico
| | - Enrique A Crespo
- Laboratorio de Mamíferos Marinos, Centro para el Estudio de Sistemas Marinos (CESIMAR - CCT CONICET - CENPAT), Blvd. Brown 2915, 9120, Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina; Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco UNPSJB, Sede Puerto Madryn, Blvd. Brown 3000, 9120, Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina
| | - Jesús S Hernández-Orts
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
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14
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Tsuzuku N, Kohno N. The oldest record of the Steller sea lion Eumetopias jubatus (Schreber, 1776) from the early Pleistocene of the North Pacific. PeerJ 2020; 8:e9709. [PMID: 32913674 PMCID: PMC7456534 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9709] [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: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The extant genera of fur seals and sea lions of the family Otariidae (Carnivora: Pinnipedia) are thought to have emerged in the Pliocene or the early Pleistocene in the North Pacific. Among them, the Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) is the largest and distributed both in the western and eastern North Pacific. In contrast to the limited distribution of the current population around the Japanese Islands that is now only along the coast of Hokkaido, their fossil records have been known from the middle and late Pleistocene of Honshu Island. One such important fossil specimen has been recorded from the upper lower Pleistocene Omma Formation (ca. 1.36–0.83 Ma) in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, which now bears the institutional number GKZ-N 00001. Because GKZ-N 00001 is the earliest fossil having been identified as a species of the sea lion genus Eumetopias, it is of importance to elucidate the evolutionary history of that genus. The morphometric comparisons were made among 51 mandibles of fur seals and sea lions with GKZ-N 00001. As results of bivariate analyses and PCA based on 39 measurements for external morphologies with internal structures by CT scan data, there is almost no difference between GKZ-N 00001 and extant male individuals of E. jubatus. In this regard, GKZ-N 00001 is identified specifically as the Steller sea lion E. jubatus. Consequently, it is recognized as the oldest Steller sea lion in the North Pacific. About 0.8 Ma, the distribution of the Steller sea lion had been already established at least in the Japan Sea side of the western North Pacific.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nahoko Tsuzuku
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan
| | - Naoki Kohno
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan.,Department of Geology and Paleontology, National Museum of Nature and Science, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan
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15
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Quintela FM, DA Rosa CA, FeijÓ A. Updated and annotated checklist of recent mammals from Brazil. AN ACAD BRAS CIENC 2020; 92 Suppl 2:e20191004. [PMID: 32813766 DOI: 10.1590/0001-3765202020191004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Accepted: 12/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
An updated and annotated checklist of mammals occurring in Brazil is presented. A total of 751 native species, distributed in 249 genera, 51 families and 11 orders were recorded to the country. The Brazilian mammalian fauna shows an elevated rate of endemism (30%; 223 species). Among the species evaluated by IUCN (668 species; 90%), a total of 80 (10.6% of total mammalian fauna) are Threatened, 28 (3.9%) are considered as Near Threatened, two species (0.3%) are presumable Extinct, 96 (12.8%) are considered with Deficient Data for conservation and 462 (61.6%) are considered as Least Concern. Fifteen new species were described since the last national compilation (published in 2017), which associated to new records to the country and synonimizations resulted in an increment of 30 species. Eight non-native species were introduced to the country, including the recently established Asiatic cervids Rusa unicolor (sambar) and Axis axis (chital). Seven native species (five primates and two hystricomorph rodents) have been translocated from their areas of natural occurrence to other areas inside the country.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Marques Quintela
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia de Ambientes Aquáticos Continentais, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Rio Grande, RS, Brazil
| | - Clarissa Alves DA Rosa
- Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, AM, Brazil
| | - Anderson FeijÓ
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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16
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Behavioral assessment of in-air hearing range for the Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens). Polar Biol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-020-02667-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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17
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Sette L, Accardo CM, McKenna K, Patchett K, Rose K, Sharp BW, Waring GT. The Seasonal Diet, Distribution, and Counts of Harbor Seals (Phoca vitulina vitulina) and Gray Seals (Halichoerus grypus atlantica) in Pleasant Bay and Chatham Harbor, Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Northeast Nat (Steuben) 2020. [DOI: 10.1656/045.027.s1011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Sette
- Center for Coastal Studies, 5 Holway Avenue, Provincetown, MA, 02657
| | - Corey M. Accardo
- Center for Coastal Studies, 5 Holway Avenue, Provincetown, MA, 02657
| | - Katherine McKenna
- Marine Mammal Rescue and Research, International Fund for Animal Welfare, Yarmouthport, MA, 02675
| | - Kristen Patchett
- Marine Mammal Rescue and Research, International Fund for Animal Welfare, Yarmouthport, MA, 02675
| | - Kathryn Rose
- Marine Mammal Rescue and Research, International Fund for Animal Welfare, Yarmouthport, MA, 02675
| | - Brian W. Sharp
- Marine Mammal Rescue and Research, International Fund for Animal Welfare, Yarmouthport, MA, 02675
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18
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Magnadóttir B, Uysal-Onganer P, Kraev I, Svansson V, Skírnisson K, Lange S. Deiminated proteins and extracellular vesicles as novel biomarkers in pinnipeds: Grey seal (Halichoerus gryptus) and harbour seal (Phoca vitulina). Biochimie 2020; 171-172:79-90. [PMID: 32105816 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2020.02.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Peptidylarginine deiminases (PADs) are phylogenetically conserved calcium-dependent enzymes which post-translationally convert arginine into citrulline in target proteins in an irreversible manner, leading to functional and structural changes in target proteins. Protein deimination can cause the generation of neo-epitopes, affect gene regulation and also allow for protein moonlighting and therefore facilitate multifaceted functions of the same protein. PADs are furthermore a key regulator of cellular release of extracellular vesicle (EVs), which are found in most body fluids and participate in cellular communication via transfer of cargo proteins and genetic material. In this study, post-translationally deiminated proteins and EVs were assessed in sera of two seal species, grey seal and harbour seal. We report a poly-dispersed population of serum-EVs, which were positive for phylogenetically conserved EV-specific markers and characterised by transmission electron microscopy. A number of deiminated proteins critical for immune and metabolic functions were identified in the seal sera and varied somewhat between the two species under study, while some targets were in common. EV profiles of the seal sera further revealed that key microRNAs for inflammation, immunity and hypoxia also vary between the two species. Protein deimination and EVs profiles may be useful biomarkers for assessing health status of sea mammals, which face environmental challenges, including opportunistic infection, pollution and shifting habitat due to global warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bergljót Magnadóttir
- Institute for Experimental Pathology, University of Iceland, Keldur V. Vesturlandsveg, 112 Reykjavik, Iceland.
| | - Pinar Uysal-Onganer
- Cancer Research Group, School of Life Sciences, University of Westminster, London, W1W 6UW, UK.
| | - Igor Kraev
- Electron Microscopy Suite, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, Open University, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, UK.
| | - Vilhjálmur Svansson
- Institute for Experimental Pathology, University of Iceland, Keldur V. Vesturlandsveg, 112 Reykjavik, Iceland.
| | - Karl Skírnisson
- Institute for Experimental Pathology, University of Iceland, Keldur V. Vesturlandsveg, 112 Reykjavik, Iceland.
| | - Sigrun Lange
- Tissue Architecture and Regeneration Research Group, School of Life Sciences, University of Westminster, London, W1W 6UW, UK.
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19
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Ivlev YF. Biomechanical Analysis of Fur as a Tool for Study of Thermal Insulation in Semi-Aquatic Mammals. BIOL BULL+ 2020. [DOI: 10.1134/s1062359019070057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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20
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Kraft S, Pérez-Álvarez MJ, Olavarría C, Poulin E. Global phylogeography and genetic diversity of the long-finned pilot whale Globicephala melas, with new data from the southeastern Pacific. Sci Rep 2020; 10:1769. [PMID: 32019997 PMCID: PMC7000830 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-58532-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Accepted: 01/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The matrilineal long-finned pilot whale presents an antitropical distribution and is divided into two subspecies, one in the temperate seas of the Southern Hemisphere and the other restricted to the North Atlantic and Mediterranean. Until now, population genetic and phylogeographic studies have included localities of most of its Northern Hemisphere distribution, while only the southwestern Pacific has been sampled in the Southern Hemisphere. We add new genetic data from the southeastern Pacific to the published sequences. Low mitochondrial and nuclear diversity was encountered in this new area, as previously reported for other localities. Four haplotypes were found with only one new for the species. Fifteen haplotypes were detected in the global dataset, underlining the species’ low diversity. As previously reported, the subspecies shared two haplotypes and presented a strong phylogeographic structure. The extant distribution of this species has been related to dispersal events during the Last Glacial Maximum. Using the genetic data and Approximate Bayesian Calculations, this study supports this historical biogeographic scenario. From a taxonomic perspective, even if genetic analyses do not support the subspecies category, this study endorses the incipient divergence process between hemispheres, thus maintaining their status and addressing them as Demographically Independent Populations is recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastián Kraft
- Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad, Laboratorio de Ecología Molecular, Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - MJosé Pérez-Álvarez
- Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad, Laboratorio de Ecología Molecular, Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile. .,Centro de Investigación Eutropia, Santiago, Chile. .,Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Mayor, Santiago, Chile.
| | - Carlos Olavarría
- Centro de Investigación Eutropia, Santiago, Chile.,Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Áridas (CEAZA), La Serena, Chile
| | - Elie Poulin
- Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad, Laboratorio de Ecología Molecular, Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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21
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da Silva AP, Machado ASD, Le Bas AE, Silva RG, Dos Anjos Silva E, Hernandez-Blazquez FJ. The skin structures and their role in the thermoregulation of the South American fur seal (Arctocephalus australis). Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2020; 303:3155-3167. [PMID: 31908126 DOI: 10.1002/ar.24357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2019] [Revised: 11/16/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The skin of the South American fur seal (Arctocephalus australis) is important for animal thermoregulation in both terrestrial and aquatic environments. Skin tissue samples were collected from A. australis for microscopic analysis and were related to anatomical references. The aim of this study was to describe the skin morphology, as well as to suggest the major anatomical regions and skin components involved in the thermoregulation of this species. Using light microscopy, the skin of six animals was examined based on histological, morphometric, and immunohistochemical criteria. Hair follicle morphology was examined using scanning electron microscopy. The skin was classified as either thick or thin based on its epidermal thickness. The thin epidermis regions had more abundant hair follicles, as well as high pigmentation, whereas the thick epidermis regions had very pigmented epidermal layers. Pigmentation of hair and skin is fundamental for protection against ultraviolet rays; moreover, hair is important in preventing abrasion, and provides an insulating layer against the external environment, which can be much colder than body temperature. Furthermore, the dermis is well vascularized, especially the superficial dermis. All regions of the skin have adaptations for maintaining the animal's condition in both terrestrial and aquatic environments. Among the studied regions, the interdigital region from hindflipper showed important morphological characteristics related to thermoregulation, such as having an epidermis of intermediate thickness, a dermis with a small number of hairs, a large amount of blood vessels, and sweat glands with large lumens, indicating that heat exchange in this region may be faster.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Paula da Silva
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Department of Basic Health Sciences, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Alex S D Machado
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Pós-Graduate Program in Animal Biology, Federal University of Jequitinhonha and Mucuri Valleys, Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Alfredo E Le Bas
- Department Physiology, Faculty of Sciences and Humanity, University of Uruguay Republic, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Rodrigo G Silva
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Elizangela Dos Anjos Silva
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Institute of Biosciences, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
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22
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Abstract
Marine mammals are long-lived top predators with vagile lifestyles, which often inhabit remote environments. This is especially relevant in the oceanic waters around New Zealand and Australia where cetaceans and pinnipeds are considered as vulnerable and often endangered due to anthropogenic impacts on their habitat. Parasitism is ubiquitous in wildlife, and prevalence of parasitic infections as well as emerging diseases can be valuable bioindicators of the ecology and health of marine mammals. Collecting information about parasite diversity in marine mammals will provide a crucial baseline for assessing their impact on host and ecosystem ecology. New studies on marine mammals in New Zealand and Australian waters have recently added to our knowledge of parasite prevalence, life cycles and taxonomic relationships in the Australasian region, and justify a first host-parasite checklist encompassing all available data. The present checklist comprises 36 species of marine mammals, and 114 species of parasites (helminths, arthropods and protozoans). Mammal species occurring in New Zealand and Australian waters but not included in the checklist represent gaps in our knowledge. The checklist thus serves both as a guide for what information is lacking, as well as a practical resource for scientists working on the ecology and conservation of marine mammals.
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23
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Valenzuela-Toro A, Pyenson ND. What do we know about the fossil record of pinnipeds? A historiographical investigation. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2019; 6:191394. [PMID: 31827869 PMCID: PMC6894555 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.191394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2019] [Accepted: 10/22/2019] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The fossil record of pinnipeds (seals, fur seals and walruses) is globally distributed, spanning from the late Oligocene to the Holocene. This record shows a complex evolutionary history that could not otherwise be inferred from their extant relatives, including multiple radiations and iterative ecomorphological specializations among different lineages, many of which are extinct. The fossil record of pinnipeds is not uniformly represented in space and time, however, leaving some gaps in our knowledge. We performed a historiographical investigation of the published fossil record of pinnipeds based on the information available in the Paleobiology Database, with the aim to broadly characterize and evaluate it from a taxonomic, geographical and temporal perspective. We identified major trends, strengths and weaknesses of the pinniped fossil record, including potential biases that may affect our interpretations. We found that 39% of the record corresponds to extant taxa, which are essentially from the Pleistocene and Holocene. There is a larger record from the Northern Hemisphere, suggesting biases in sampling and collection effort. The record is not strongly biased by sedimentary outcrop bias. Specifically, for extinct species, nearly half of them are represented by a single occurrence and a large proportion have type specimens consisting of single isolated postcranial elements. While the pinniped fossil record may have adequate temporal and taxonomic coverage, it has a strong geographical bias and its comparability is hindered by the incompleteness of type specimens. These results should be taken into account when addressing patterns of their past diversity, evolutionary history and paleoecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Valenzuela-Toro
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Coastal Biology Building, 130 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Nicholas D. Pyenson
- Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, PO Box 37012, Washington, DC 20013, USA
- Department of Paleontology and Geology, Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
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Kalberer S, DeRango E, Trillmich F, Krüger O. Evolution of age at primiparity in pinnipeds in the absence of the quality-quantity trade-off in reproduction. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:5450-5456. [PMID: 31110693 PMCID: PMC6509388 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2018] [Revised: 03/01/2019] [Accepted: 03/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Age at primiparity (AP) is a key life history trait which is crucial to the evolution of life history strategies. This trait is particularly interesting in pinnipeds (walrus, eared seals, and true seals), which are monotocous animals. Thus, the commonly observed trade-off between offspring quality and quantity does not apply to this taxon. Therefore, comparative studies on the evolution of AP might shed light on other important evolutionary correlates when litter size is fixed. Using phylogenetic generalized least squares analyses, we found a strong negative and robust correlation between relative birth mass (mean pup birth mass as a proportion of mean adult female mass) and AP. Rather than trading-off an early start of reproduction with light relative offspring mass, this result suggests that pinnipeds exhibit either faster (i.e., higher relative offspring mass leading to shorter lactation length, and thus shorter interbirth interval) or slower life histories and that an early AP and a heavy relative offspring mass co-evolved into a comparatively fast life history strategy. On the other hand, AP was positively related to lactation length: A later start of reproduction was associated with a longer lactation length. Consequently, variation in AP in pinnipeds seems to be affected by an interplay between costs and benefits of early reproduction mediated by relative investment into the single offspring via relative birth mass and lactation length.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eugene DeRango
- Department of Animal BehaviourBielefeld UniversityBielefeldGermany
| | - Fritz Trillmich
- Department of Animal BehaviourBielefeld UniversityBielefeldGermany
| | - Oliver Krüger
- Department of Animal BehaviourBielefeld UniversityBielefeldGermany
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25
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δ13C and δ15N values in pup whiskers as a proxy for the trophic behavior of Galapagos sea lion females. Mamm Biol 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mambio.2019.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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26
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Terhune J. The underwater vocal complexity of seals (Phocidae) is not related to their phylogeny. CAN J ZOOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2018-0190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Closely related mammalian species often make similar vocalizations, but this is not so with the underwater calls of the true seals. Some seal species have diverse underwater vocal repertoires, whereas others only make pulsed calls. Vocal complexity scores of underwater calls of 13 seal species were compared with their phylogeny and life-history traits. Waveform types, repertoire sizes, repetition and rhythm patterns, and frequency and duration measures (15 attributes, scaled 0 to 1) were summed to give a vocal complexity score. The lowest complexity group use low frequency, burst pulse or irregular waveforms and have small repertoires. The intermediate group have both sinusoidal and noisy waveforms, songs, and a single rhythm pattern in repeated element calls. The most complex group have large repertoires, sinusoidal and noisy waveforms, songs, and two or more rhythm patterns in repeated element calls. There is no evidence of a relationship between phylogeny and vocal complexity. The low vocal complexity species are serially monogamous, do not form breeding groups, breed on beaches or pack ice, and are subject to higher predation risk. Species with higher vocal complexity are promiscuous or polygamous, form breeding groups on pack or landfast ice, and have a lower predation risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- J.M. Terhune
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, NB E2L 4L5, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, NB E2L 4L5, Canada
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Morphometrical and molecular evidence suggests cryptic diversity among hookworms (Nematoda: Uncinaria) that parasitize pinnipeds from the south-eastern Pacific coasts. J Helminthol 2018; 94:e8. [PMID: 30428941 DOI: 10.1017/s0022149x18000950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Hookworms of the genus Uncinaria parasitize pinniped pups in various locations worldwide. Four species have been described, two of which parasitize pinniped pups in the southern hemisphere: Uncinaria hamiltoni parasitizes Otaria flavescens and Arctocephalus australis from the South American coast, and Uncinaria sanguinis parasitizes Neophoca cinerea from the Australian coast. However, their geographical ranges and host specificity are unknown. Uncinaria spp. are morphologically similar, but molecular analyses have allowed the recognition of new species in the genus Uncinaria. We used nuclear genetic markers (internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and large subunit (LSU) rDNA) and a mitochondrial genetic marker (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI)) to evaluate the phylogenetic relationships of Uncinaria spp. parasitizing A. australis and O. flavescens from South American coasts (Atlantic and Pacific coasts). We compared our sequences with published Uncinaria sequences. A Generalized Mixed Yule Coalescent (GMYC) analysis was also used to delimit species, and principal component analysis was used to compare morphometry among Uncinaria specimens. Parasites were sampled from A. australis from Peru (12°S), southern Chile (42°S), and the Uruguayan coast, and from O. flavescens from northern Chile (24°S) and the Uruguayan coast. Morphometric differences were observed between Uncinaria specimens from both South American coasts and between Uncinaria specimens from A. australis in Peru and southern Chile. Phylogenetic and GMYC analyses suggest that south-eastern Pacific otariid species harbour U. hamiltoni and an undescribed putative species of Uncinaria. However, more samples from A. australis and O. flavescens are necessary to understand the phylogenetic patterns of Uncinaria spp. across the South Pacific.
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Schaeffner BC, Ditrich O, Kuchta R. A century of taxonomic uncertainty: re-description of two species of tapeworms (Diphyllobothriidea) from Arctic seals. Polar Biol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-018-2396-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Dewaele L, Lambert O, Louwye S. A critical revision of the fossil record, stratigraphy and diversity of the Neogene seal genus Monotherium (Carnivora, Phocidae). ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2018; 5:171669. [PMID: 29892365 PMCID: PMC5990722 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.171669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2017] [Accepted: 04/03/2018] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Historically, Monotherium had been one of the few genera of extinct Phocidae (true seals) that served as a wastebin taxon. Consequently, it did neither aid in understanding phylogenetic relationships of extinct Phocidae, nor in understanding seal diversity in deep time. This urged the reassessment of the genus. Before our review, Monotherium included five different species: Monotherium aberratum, Monotherium affine, and Monotherium delognii from Belgium; Monotherium gaudini from Italy; and Monotherium? wymani from the east coast USA. In this work we redescribe the fossil record of the genus, retaining the type species M. delognii. Monotherium aberratum and M. affine are reassigned to the new phocine genus Frisiphoca. Monotherium gaudini is renamed and considered a stem-monachine (Noriphoca gaudini). The holotype of the monachine M.? wymani requires further study pending the discovery of new fossil material that could be attributed to the same taxon. Reinvestigating the stratigraphic context reveals that N. gaudini most likely represents one of the two oldest named phocid seals, or even the oldest, dated to the late Oligocene-earliest Miocene. Our results allow questioning the widespread idea that Phocidae originated in the western Atlantic and better appreciate their palaeobiogeography during the late Oligocene-Miocene interval in the North Atlantic realm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonard Dewaele
- Department of Geology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- ‘Earth and History of Life’, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Olivier Lambert
- ‘Earth and History of Life’, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium
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Hernández-Orts JS, Scholz T, Brabec J, Kuzmina T, Kuchta R. Does the number of genital organs matter? Case of the seal tapeworm Diphyllobothrium (syn. Diplogonoporus) tetrapterum (Cestoda: Diphyllobothriidea). CAN J ZOOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2017-0013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The seal tapeworm Diphyllobothrium tetrapterum (von Siebold, 1848) Baer, 1932 (syn. Diplogonoporus tetrapterus) is exceptional among cestodes because it possesses two types of the strobila, one with a multiple set of genitalia per proglottid and another with a single set of reproductive organs per proglottid. In this study, Diph. tetrapterum is redescribed on the basis of extensive, well-fixed material from the northern fur seal (Callorhinus ursinus (Linnaeus, 1758)) from Alaska, USA. A critical morphological and molecular study of comprehensive material from several hosts throughout the Northern Hemisphere is provided. As a result, Diplogonoporus mutabilis Belopolskaia, 1960 and Diplogonoporus violettae Yurakhno, 1986 become junior synonyms of Diph. tetrapterum. Our study provides evidence of intraspecific and even individual variability of Diph. tetrapterum in the number of genital complexes, thus making this generic feature questionable for circumscription of the diphyllobothriid genera. The seal tapeworm has been found exclusively in the Northern Hemisphere and exhibits a wide (euryxenous) specificity at the level of the definitive host, having been found in a number of seals, the sea otter (Enhydra lutris (Linnaeus, 1758)), and exceptionally, in other terrestrial mammals. Plerocercoids of Diph. tetrapterum are reported from the second (fish) intermediate host for the first time, in this case the pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha (Walbaum, 1792)) from Alaska.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesús S. Hernández-Orts
- Centro de Investigación Aplicada y Transferencia Tecnológica en Recursos Marinos Almirante Storni, Güemes 1030, 8520, San Antonio Oeste, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Tomáš Scholz
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Brabec
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Tetiana Kuzmina
- Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology NAS of Ukraine, 15, Bogdana Khmelnytskogo Street, 01030, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Roman Kuchta
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
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31
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Fietz K, Galatius A, Teilmann J, Dietz R, Frie AK, Klimova A, Palsbøll PJ, Jensen LF, Graves JA, Hoffman JI, Olsen MT. Shift of grey seal subspecies boundaries in response to climate, culling and conservation. Mol Ecol 2017; 25:4097-112. [PMID: 27616353 DOI: 10.1111/mec.13748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2016] [Revised: 06/06/2016] [Accepted: 06/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Identifying the processes that drive changes in the abundance and distribution of natural populations is a central theme in ecology and evolution. Many species of marine mammals have experienced dramatic changes in abundance and distribution due to climatic fluctuations and anthropogenic impacts. However, thanks to conservation efforts, some of these species have shown remarkable population recovery and are now recolonizing their former ranges. Here, we use zooarchaeological, demographic and genetic data to examine processes of colonization, local extinction and recolonization of the two northern European grey seal subspecies inhabiting the Baltic Sea and North Sea. The zooarchaeological and genetic data suggest that the two subspecies diverged shortly after the formation of the Baltic Sea approximately 4200 years bp, probably through a gradual shift to different breeding habitats and phenologies. By comparing genetic data from 19th century pre-extinction material with that from seals currently recolonizing their past range, we observed a marked spatiotemporal shift in subspecies boundaries, with increasing encroachment of North Sea seals on areas previously occupied by the Baltic Sea subspecies. Further, both demographic and genetic data indicate that the two subspecies have begun to overlap geographically and are hybridizing in a narrow contact zone. Our findings provide new insights into the processes of colonization, extinction and recolonization and have important implications for the management of grey seals across northern Europe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Fietz
- Evolutionary Genomics Section, Centre for Geogenetics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 5-7, DK-1350 Copenhagen K, Denmark.,Marine Evolution and Conservation, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Anders Galatius
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Jonas Teilmann
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Rune Dietz
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | | | - Anastasia Klimova
- Department of Animal Behaviour, University of Bielefeld, PO Box 10 01 31, 33501 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Per J Palsbøll
- Marine Evolution and Conservation, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Lasse F Jensen
- Fisheries and Maritime Museum, Tarphagevej 2, DK-6710 Esbjerg V, Denmark
| | - Jeff A Graves
- Scottish Oceans Institute, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, Fife KY16 9TH, UK
| | - Joseph I Hoffman
- Department of Animal Behaviour, University of Bielefeld, PO Box 10 01 31, 33501 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Morten Tange Olsen
- Evolutionary Genomics Section, Centre for Geogenetics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 5-7, DK-1350 Copenhagen K, Denmark
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Lyamin OI, Mukhametov LM, Siegel JM. Sleep in the northern fur seal. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2017; 44:144-151. [PMID: 28505502 PMCID: PMC5609733 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2017.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2017] [Accepted: 04/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The pattern of sleep in the fur seal, a semiaquatic pinniped, has several striking behavioral and physiological adaptations that allow this species to inhabit both the land and water environment. These features include unihemispheric slow wave sleep (USWS, also being unihemispheric waking), the ability to maintain movement for stabilization of the sleep posture and to briefly open one eye while having a sleep electroencephalogram (EEG) in one hemisphere. In vivo microdialysis studies suggest that acetylcholine release is required for cortical activation during USWS, and that monoamines are not required for USWS. The need to breathe, to maintain efficient thermoregulation, and to avoid predation have shaped the sleep patterns in semiaquatic fur seals as in fully aquatic cetaceans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oleg I Lyamin
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, and Brain Research Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, RAS, Moscow, Russia; Utrish Dolphinarium Ltd., Moscow, Russia
| | - Lev M Mukhametov
- Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, RAS, Moscow, Russia; Utrish Dolphinarium Ltd., Moscow, Russia
| | - Jerome M Siegel
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, and Brain Research Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, RAS, Moscow, Russia.
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De JesÚs-Bonilla VS, Barrientos-Lozano L, ZaldÍvar-RiverÓn A. Sequence-based species delineation and molecular phylogenetics of the transitional Nearctic–Neotropical grasshopper genus Taeniopoda (Orthoptera, Romaleidae). SYST BIODIVERS 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/14772000.2017.1313792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir Salvador De JesÚs-Bonilla
- Colección Nacional de Insectos, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 3er. Circuito exterior s/n Cd. Universitaria, Copilco, Coyoacán, A. P. 70-233, C.P 04510, D.F., México
| | - Ludivina Barrientos-Lozano
- Instituto Tecnológico de Cd. Victoria. Blvd., Emilio Portes Gil No. 1301, C. P. 87010, Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas, México
| | - Alejandro ZaldÍvar-RiverÓn
- Colección Nacional de Insectos, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 3er. Circuito exterior s/n Cd. Universitaria, Copilco, Coyoacán, A. P. 70-233, C.P 04510, D.F., México
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Olsen MT, Galatius A, Biard V, Gregersen K, Kinze CC. The forgotten type specimen of the grey seal [Halichoerus grypus(Fabricius, 1791)] from the island of Amager, Denmark. Zool J Linn Soc 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/zoj.12426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Morten Tange Olsen
- Evolutionary Genomics Section; Natural History Museum of Denmark; University of Copenhagen; Øster Voldgade 5-7 1350 Copenhagen K Denmark
| | - Anders Galatius
- Department of Bioscience; Aarhus University; Frederiksborgvej 399 4000 Roskilde Denmark
| | - Vincent Biard
- Evolutionary Genomics Section; Natural History Museum of Denmark; University of Copenhagen; Øster Voldgade 5-7 1350 Copenhagen K Denmark
| | - Kristian Gregersen
- Centre for Geogenetics; Natural History Museum of Denmark; University of Copenhagen; Øster Voldgade 5-7 1350 Copenhagen K Denmark
| | - Carl Christian Kinze
- Atlas of Danish Marine Mammals; Rosenørns Alle 55, 2TV 1970 Frederiksberg C Denmark
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Laakkonen J, Jernvall J. Macroscopic Anatomy of the Saimaa Ringed Seal (Phoca hispida saimensis) Lower Respiratory Tract. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2016; 299:538-43. [DOI: 10.1002/ar.23316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2015] [Revised: 11/10/2015] [Accepted: 12/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Juha Laakkonen
- Division of Veterinary Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Department of Veterinary Biosciences; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki; Finland 00014
| | - Jukka Jernvall
- Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki; Finland 00014
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Churchill M, Clementz MT. The evolution of aquatic feeding in seals: insights from
Enaliarctos
(Carnivora: Pinnipedimorpha), the oldest known seal. J Evol Biol 2015; 29:319-34. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2015] [Revised: 10/06/2015] [Accepted: 10/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. Churchill
- Department of Anatomy New York Institute of Technology Old Westbury NY USA
- Department of Geology and Geophysics University of Wyoming Laramie WY USA
- Program in Ecology University of Wyoming Laramie WY USA
| | - M. T. Clementz
- Department of Geology and Geophysics University of Wyoming Laramie WY USA
- Program in Ecology University of Wyoming Laramie WY USA
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Hernández-Orts JS, Scholz T, Brabec J, Kuzmina T, Kuchta R. High morphological plasticity and global geographical distribution of the Pacific broad tapeworm Adenocephalus pacificus (syn. Diphyllobothrium pacificum): molecular and morphological survey. Acta Trop 2015; 149:168-78. [PMID: 26001974 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2015.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2015] [Revised: 05/11/2015] [Accepted: 05/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The most important causative agent of human diphyllobothriosis in South America, Diphyllobothrium pacificum, is transferred to the original genus Adenocephalus Nybelin, 1931; revised and redescribed on the basis of the evaluation of an extensive material collected mainly from northern fur seal, Callorhinus ursinus, from St. Paul Island, Alaska. Detailed analysis of morphological and morphometrical data shows a high variability in most of the characteristics traditionally used in diagnosis of diphyllobothriid tapeworms. Phylogenetic analyses based on newly characterised sequences of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 and nuclear large subunit ribosomal RNA genes consistently reveal Adenocephalus pacificus as a sister lineage to the clade formed of the remaining Diphyllobothrium species and other genera (Digramma, Diplogonoporus, Ligula). Despite the generally similar morphology, A. pacificus can be differentiated from the closely related taxa in the presence of transverse papilla-like tegumental protuberances distributed anteriorly, separated by narrow semicircular grooves on the ventral surface of proglottids between their anterior margin and the anterior edge of the male gonopore, and relatively small eggs. A. pacificus displays a relatively low host specificity (found in 9 of 16 otariids, and in accidental hosts such as man, dog and jackal, the latter representing a new host) and a uniquely wide geographical distribution on both hemispheres. In addition, suitability of morphological criteria used in diagnostics of diphyllobothriid cestodes is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesús Servando Hernández-Orts
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Scholz
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Brabec
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Tetiana Kuzmina
- Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology NAS of Ukraine, vul. B. Khmelnyts'kogo, 15, Kyiv 01601, Ukraine
| | - Roman Kuchta
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
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Churchill M, Clementz MT. Functional implications of variation in tooth spacing and crown size in pinnipedimorpha (mammalia: carnivora). Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2015; 298:878-902. [PMID: 25367223 DOI: 10.1002/ar.23082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2014] [Revised: 07/12/2014] [Accepted: 09/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Pinnipeds (seals, sea lions, and walruses) show variation in tooth morphology that relates to ecology. However, crown size and spacing are two aspects of morphology that have not been quantified in prior studies. We measured these characters for nearly all extant pinnipeds and three fossil taxa and then determined the principal sources of variation in tooth size and spacing using principal components (PCAs) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA). PCA and HCA showed that species sorted into three groups: taxa with small crowns and large diastemata, taxa with large crowns and small diastemata, and taxa that fell between these two extremes. We then performed discriminant function analysis (DFA) to determine if tooth morphology correlated with foraging strategy or diet. DFA results indicated weak correlation with diet, and stronger correlation with prey capture strategies. Tooth size and spacing were most strongly correlated with the importance of teeth in prey acquisition, with tooth size decreasing and tooth spacing increasing as teeth become less necessary in capturing food items. Taxa which relied on teeth for filtering prey from the water column or processing larger or tougher food items generally had larger crowns and smaller tooth spacing then taxa which swallowed prey whole. We found the fossil taxa Desmatophoca and Enaliarctos were most similar in tooth morphology to extant otariids, suggesting that both taxa were generalist feeders. This study established the relationship between tooth size and feeding behavior, and provides a new tool to explore the paleoecology of fossil pinnipeds and other aquatic tetrapods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan Churchill
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA; Program in Ecology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
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Hansen MJ, Bertelsen MF, Christensen H, Bojesen AM. Bisgaardia miroungae sp. nov., a new member of the family Pasteurellaceae isolated from the oral cavity of northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris), and emended description of the genus Bisgaardia. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2015; 65:388-392. [DOI: 10.1099/ijs.0.065060-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A total of 17 bacterial isolates from northern elephant seals, tentatively classified within the family
Pasteurellaceae,
were further characterized by genotypic and phenotypic tests. Phylogenetic analysis of partial 16S rRNA and rpoB gene sequences showed that the isolates investigated formed a monophyletic group, closely related to the genus
Bisgaardia
within the family
Pasteurellaceae
. The rpoB gene sequence similarity was 97.2–100 % within the group and 16S rRNA gene sequence comparisons showed 99.2–99.8 % similarity within the group. According to 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, the most closely related species with a validly published name was
Bisgaardia hudsonensis
with 96.9 % similarity and the most closely related species based on rpoB sequence comparison was
Bisgaardia
genomospecies 1 with an rpoB sequence similarity of 90.9 %. All the isolates investigated exhibited the phenotypic characteristics of the family
Pasteurellaceae
. However, these isolates could be separated from existing species of the genus
Bisgaardia
by the following characteristics: ability to grow at 42 °C, and acid production from lactose, melibiose, raffinose and l-rhamnose, but not from d-mannitol or trehalose. On the basis of both phylogenetic and phenotypic evidence, it is proposed that the strains should be classified as representatives of a novel species within the genus
Bisgaardia
: Bisgaardia miroungae sp. nov. The type strain, WildatricT ( = CCUG 65148T = DSM 28141T), was isolated from the oral cavity of a wild northern elephant seal at The Marine Mammal Center, California, USA in 2011. To include the novel species, the description of the genus
Bisgaardia
has been emended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mie Johanne Hansen
- Center for Zoo and Wild Animal Health, Copenhagen Zoo, 2000 Frederiksberg, Denmark
- Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Stigboejlen 4, 1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Mads Frost Bertelsen
- Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Stigboejlen 4, 1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Henrik Christensen
- Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Stigboejlen 4, 1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Anders Miki Bojesen
- Center for Zoo and Wild Animal Health, Copenhagen Zoo, 2000 Frederiksberg, Denmark
- Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Stigboejlen 4, 1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
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40
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Shaughnessy PD, Goldsworthy SD. Increasing abundance of pups of the long-nosed fur seal (Arctocephalus forsteri) on Kangaroo Island, South Australia, over 26 breeding seasons to 2013–14. WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2015. [DOI: 10.1071/wr14209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Context
Long-nosed (or New Zealand) fur seals breed on the southern coast of Australia, in New Zealand and on its subantarctic islands. They are recovering from over-harvesting that occurred in the early nineteenth century.
Aims
We estimated the rate of increase of the population at two colonies on Kangaroo Island, South Australia: Cape Gantheaume and Cape du Couedic.
Methods
From 1988–89 to 2013–14, pup abundance was estimated using a mark–resight procedure with multiple resights in large aggregations of pups and by direct counting in small aggregations.
Key results
At Cape Gantheaume, pup numbers increased by a factor of 10.7 from 457 to 5333 over 26 breeding seasons and the exponential rate of increase averaged 10.0% per annum (p.a.). Between 1988–89 and 1997–98, the population increased at 17.3% p.a., after which the increase was 7.2% p.a. At Cape du Couedic, pup numbers increased by a factor of 12.8 from 295 to 4070 over 21 breeding seasons at 11.4% p.a. Between 1988–89 and 1997–98, the increase averaged 14.2% p.a., after which it was 9.6% p.a. These increases have been accompanied by expansion in sub-colonies that existed in January 1989 and establishment of several new sub-colonies. Increases are likely to continue on Kangaroo Island.
Conclusions
There are few examples of increasing population levels for Australian native mammals and this is one of the best documented. It demonstrates that fur seal populations can recover from uncontrolled harvesting provided breeding habitat ashore is protected.
Implications
Fur seals interfere with fishers, disturb farmed tuna in aquaculture pens, and prey on little penguins.
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41
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Marshall CD, Rosen D, Trites AW. Feeding kinematics and performance of basal otariid pinnipeds, Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus), and northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus): implications for the evolution of mammalian feeding. J Exp Biol 2015; 218:3229-40. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.126573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2015] [Accepted: 08/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Feeding performance studies can address questions relevant to feeding ecology and evolution. Our current understanding of feeding mechanisms for aquatic mammals is poor. Therefore, we characterized the feeding kinematics and performance of 5 Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) and 6 northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus). We tested the hypotheses that both species use suction as their primary feeding mode, and that rapid jaw opening was related to suction generation. Steller sea lions used suction as their primary feeding mode, but also used a biting feeding mode. In contrast, Northern fur seals only used a biting feeding mode. Kinematic profiles of Steller sea lions were all indicative of suction feeding (i.e., a small gape, small gape angle, large depression of the hyolingual apparatus and lip pursing). However, jaw opening as measured by Gape Angle Opening Velocity (GAOV) was relatively slow in Steller sea lions. In contrast to Steller sea lions, the GAOV of Northern fur seals was extremely fast, but their kinematic profiles indicated a biting feeding mode (i.e., northern fur seals exhibited a greater gape, a greater gape angle, and minimal depression of the hyolingual apparatus compared to Steller sea lions). Steller sea lions produced both subambient and suprambient pressures at 45 kPa, respectively. In contrast, northern fur seals produced no detectable pressure measurements. Steller sea lions have a broader feeding repertoire than northern fur seals, which likely enables them to feed on a greater variety of prey, in more diverse habitats. Based on the basal phylogenetic position of northern fur seals, craniodental morphological data of the Callorhinus lineage, and the performance data provided in this study, we suggest that a northern fur seals may be exhibiting their ancestral feeding mode.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher D. Marshall
- Texas A&M University, Department of Marine Biology, Galveston, TX 77553, USA
- Texas A&M University, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, College Station, TX 77840, USA
| | - David Rosen
- Marine Mammal Research Unit,
Fisheries Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z4
| | - Andrew W. Trites
- Marine Mammal Research Unit,
Fisheries Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z4
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42
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Churchill M, Clementz MT, Kohno N. Cope's rule and the evolution of body size in Pinnipedimorpha (Mammalia: Carnivora). Evolution 2014; 69:201-15. [PMID: 25355195 DOI: 10.1111/evo.12560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2014] [Accepted: 10/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Cope's rule describes the evolutionary trend for animal lineages to increase in body size over time. In this study, we tested the validity of Cope's rule for a marine mammal clade, the Pinnipedimorpha, which includes the extinct Desmatophocidae, and extant Phocidae (earless seals), Otariidae (fur seals and sea lions), and Odobenidae (walruses). We tested for the presence of Cope's rule by compiling a large dataset of body size data for extant and fossil pinnipeds and then examined how body size evolved through time. We found that there was a positive relationship between geologic age and body size. However, this trend is the result of differences between early assemblages of small-bodied pinnipeds (Oligocene to early Miocene) and later assemblages (middle Miocene to Pliocene) for which species exhibited greater size diversity. No significant differences were found between the number of increases or decreases in body size within Pinnipedimorpha or within specific pinniped clades. This suggests that the pinniped body size increase was driven by passive diversification into vacant niche space, with the common ancestor of Pinnipedimorpha occurring near the minimum adult body size possible for a marine mammal. Based upon the above results, the evolutionary history of pinnipeds does not follow Cope's rule.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan Churchill
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, 8207; Program in Ecology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, 82071.
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43
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Tarnawski BA, Flores D, Cassini G, Cappozzo LH. A comparative analysis on cranial ontogeny of South American fur seals (Otariidae:Arctocephalus). Zool J Linn Soc 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/zoj.12197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bárbara A. Tarnawski
- División Mastozoología; Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales ‘Bernardino Rivadavia’ Avenida Ángel Gallardo 470; C1405DJR Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - David Flores
- División Mastozoología; Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales ‘Bernardino Rivadavia’ Avenida Ángel Gallardo 470; C1405DJR Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Guillermo Cassini
- División Mastozoología; Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales ‘Bernardino Rivadavia’ Avenida Ángel Gallardo 470; C1405DJR Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires Argentina
- Departamento de Ciencias Básicas; Universidad Nacional de Luján; Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Luis H. Cappozzo
- División Mastozoología; Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales ‘Bernardino Rivadavia’ Avenida Ángel Gallardo 470; C1405DJR Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires Argentina
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44
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Environmental predictors of ice seal presence in the Bering Sea. PLoS One 2014; 9:e106998. [PMID: 25229453 PMCID: PMC4167550 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0106998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2014] [Accepted: 08/07/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Ice seals overwintering in the Bering Sea are challenged with foraging, finding mates, and maintaining breathing holes in a dark and ice covered environment. Due to the difficulty of studying these species in their natural environment, very little is known about how the seals navigate under ice. Here we identify specific environmental parameters, including components of the ambient background sound, that are predictive of ice seal presence in the Bering Sea. Multi-year mooring deployments provided synoptic time series of acoustic and oceanographic parameters from which environmental parameters predictive of species presence were identified through a series of mixed models. Ice cover and 10 kHz sound level were significant predictors of seal presence, with 40 kHz sound and prey presence (combined with ice cover) as potential predictors as well. Ice seal presence showed a strong positive correlation with ice cover and a negative association with 10 kHz environmental sound. On average, there was a 20-30 dB difference between sound levels during solid ice conditions compared to open water or melting conditions, providing a salient acoustic gradient between open water and solid ice conditions by which ice seals could orient. By constantly assessing the acoustic environment associated with the seasonal ice movement in the Bering Sea, it is possible that ice seals could utilize aspects of the soundscape to gauge their safe distance to open water or the ice edge by orienting in the direction of higher sound levels indicative of open water, especially in the frequency range above 1 kHz. In rapidly changing Arctic and sub-Arctic environments, the seasonal ice conditions and soundscapes are likely to change which may impact the ability of animals using ice presence and cues to successfully function during the winter breeding season.
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45
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Nyman T, Valtonen M, Aspi J, Ruokonen M, Kunnasranta M, Palo JU. Demographic histories and genetic diversities of Fennoscandian marine and landlocked ringed seal subspecies. Ecol Evol 2014; 4:3420-34. [PMID: 25535558 PMCID: PMC4228616 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2014] [Revised: 07/21/2014] [Accepted: 07/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Island populations are on average smaller, genetically less diverse, and at a higher risk to go extinct than mainland populations. Low genetic diversity may elevate extinction probability, but the genetic component of the risk can be affected by the mode of diversity loss, which, in turn, is connected to the demographic history of the population. Here, we examined the history of genetic erosion in three Fennoscandian ringed seal subspecies, of which one inhabits the Baltic Sea 'mainland' and two the 'aquatic islands' composed of Lake Saimaa in Finland and Lake Ladoga in Russia. Both lakes were colonized by marine seals after their formation c. 9500 years ago, but Lake Ladoga is larger and more contiguous than Lake Saimaa. All three populations suffered dramatic declines during the 20th century, but the bottleneck was particularly severe in Lake Saimaa. Data from 17 microsatellite loci and mitochondrial control-region sequences show that Saimaa ringed seals have lost most of the genetic diversity present in their Baltic ancestors, while the Ladoga population has experienced only minor reductions. Using Approximate Bayesian computing analyses, we show that the genetic uniformity of the Saimaa subspecies derives from an extended founder event and subsequent slow erosion, rather than from the recent bottleneck. This suggests that the population has persisted for nearly 10,000 years despite having low genetic variation. The relatively high diversity of the Ladoga population appears to result from a high number of initial colonizers and a high post-colonization population size, but possibly also by a shorter isolation period and/or occasional gene flow from the Baltic Sea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tommi Nyman
- Department of Biology, University of Eastern FinlandPO Box 111, Joensuu, FI-80101, Finland
- Institute for Systematic Botany, University of Zurich, Zollikerstrasse 107Zurich, CH-8008, Switzerland
| | - Mia Valtonen
- Department of Biology, University of Eastern FinlandPO Box 111, Joensuu, FI-80101, Finland
| | - Jouni Aspi
- Department of Biology, University of OuluPO Box 3000, Oulu, FI-90014, Finland
| | - Minna Ruokonen
- Department of Biology, University of OuluPO Box 3000, Oulu, FI-90014, Finland
| | - Mervi Kunnasranta
- Department of Biology, University of Eastern FinlandPO Box 111, Joensuu, FI-80101, Finland
| | - Jukka U Palo
- Laboratory of Forensic Biology, Hjelt Institute, University of HelsinkiPO Box 40, Helsinki, FI-00014, Finland
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46
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Churchill M, Boessenecker RW, Clementz MT. Colonization of the Southern Hemisphere by fur seals and sea lions (Carnivora: Otariidae) revealed by combined evidence phylogenetic and Bayesian biogeographical analysis. Zool J Linn Soc 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/zoj.12163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Morgan Churchill
- Department of Geology and Geophysics; University of Wyoming; Dept. 3006; 1000 E. University Ave. Laramie WY 82071 USA
- Program in Ecology; University of Wyoming; Berry Center 231; 1000 E. University Ave. Laramie WY 82071 USA
| | - Robert W. Boessenecker
- Department of Geology; University of Otago; P.O. Box 56 Dunedin 9054 New Zealand
- University of California Museum of Paleontology; University of California; 1101 Valley Life Sciences Building Berkeley CA 94720 USA
| | - Mark T. Clementz
- Department of Geology and Geophysics; University of Wyoming; Dept. 3006; 1000 E. University Ave. Laramie WY 82071 USA
- Program in Ecology; University of Wyoming; Berry Center 231; 1000 E. University Ave. Laramie WY 82071 USA
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47
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Churchill M, Clementz MT, Kohno N. Predictive equations for the estimation of body size in seals and sea lions (Carnivora: Pinnipedia). J Anat 2014; 225:232-45. [PMID: 24916814 DOI: 10.1111/joa.12199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Body size plays an important role in pinniped ecology and life history. However, body size data is often absent for historical, archaeological, and fossil specimens. To estimate the body size of pinnipeds (seals, sea lions, and walruses) for today and the past, we used 14 commonly preserved cranial measurements to develop sets of single variable and multivariate predictive equations for pinniped body mass and total length. Principal components analysis (PCA) was used to test whether separate family specific regressions were more appropriate than single predictive equations for Pinnipedia. The influence of phylogeny was tested with phylogenetic independent contrasts (PIC). The accuracy of these regressions was then assessed using a combination of coefficient of determination, percent prediction error, and standard error of estimation. Three different methods of multivariate analysis were examined: bidirectional stepwise model selection using Akaike information criteria; all-subsets model selection using Bayesian information criteria (BIC); and partial least squares regression. The PCA showed clear discrimination between Otariidae (fur seals and sea lions) and Phocidae (earless seals) for the 14 measurements, indicating the need for family-specific regression equations. The PIC analysis found that phylogeny had a minor influence on relationship between morphological variables and body size. The regressions for total length were more accurate than those for body mass, and equations specific to Otariidae were more accurate than those for Phocidae. Of the three multivariate methods, the all-subsets approach required the fewest number of variables to estimate body size accurately. We then used the single variable predictive equations and the all-subsets approach to estimate the body size of two recently extinct pinniped taxa, the Caribbean monk seal (Monachus tropicalis) and the Japanese sea lion (Zalophus japonicus). Body size estimates using single variable regressions generally under or over-estimated body size; however, the all-subset regression produced body size estimates that were close to historically recorded body length for these two species. This indicates that the all-subset regression equations developed in this study can estimate body size accurately.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan Churchill
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA; Program in Ecology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
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48
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Scheel DM, Slater GJ, Kolokotronis SO, Potter CW, Rotstein DS, Tsangaras K, Greenwood AD, Helgen KM. Biogeography and taxonomy of extinct and endangered monk seals illuminated by ancient DNA and skull morphology. Zookeys 2014:1-33. [PMID: 24899841 PMCID: PMC4042687 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.409.6244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2013] [Accepted: 04/19/2014] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Extinctions and declines of large marine vertebrates have major ecological impacts and are of critical concern in marine environments. The Caribbean monk seal, Monachus tropicalis, last definitively reported in 1952, was one of the few marine mammal species to become extinct in historical times. Despite its importance for understanding the evolutionary biogeography of southern phocids, the relationships of M. tropicalis to the two living species of critically endangered monk seals have not been resolved. In this study we present the first molecular data for M. tropicalis, derived from museum skins. Phylogenetic analysis of cytochrome b sequences indicates that M. tropicalis was more closely related to the Hawaiian rather than the Mediterranean monk seal. Divergence time estimation implicates the formation of the Panamanian Isthmus in the speciation of Caribbean and Hawaiian monk seals. Molecular, morphological and temporal divergence between the Mediterranean and “New World monk seals” (Hawaiian and Caribbean) is profound, equivalent to or greater than between sister genera of phocids. As a result, we classify the Caribbean and Hawaiian monk seals together in a newly erected genus, Neomonachus. The two genera of extant monk seals (Monachus and Neomonachus) represent old evolutionary lineages each represented by a single critically endangered species, both warranting continuing and concerted conservation attention and investment if they are to avoid the fate of their Caribbean relative.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dirk-Martin Scheel
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, 10315 Berlin, Germany
| | - Graham J Slater
- Division of Mammals, Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, 10th Street and Constitution Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20560-0108, USA ; Department of Paleobiology, Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, 10th Street and Constitution Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20560-0108, USA
| | | | - Charles W Potter
- Division of Mammals, Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, 10th Street and Constitution Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20560-0108, USA
| | - David S Rotstein
- Marine Mammal Pathology Services, 19117 Bloomfield Road, Olney, MD 20832, USA
| | - Kyriakos Tsangaras
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, 10315 Berlin, Germany
| | - Alex D Greenwood
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, 10315 Berlin, Germany
| | - Kristofer M Helgen
- Division of Mammals, Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, 10th Street and Constitution Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20560-0108, USA
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49
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Sills JM, Southall BL, Reichmuth C. Amphibious hearing in spotted seals (Phoca largha): underwater audiograms, aerial audiograms and critical ratio measurements. J Exp Biol 2014; 217:726-34. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.097469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Spotted seals (Phoca largha) inhabit Arctic regions that are facing both rapid climate change and increasing industrialization. While little is known about their sensory capabilities, available knowledge suggests that spotted seals and other ice seals use sound to obtain information from the surrounding environment. To quantitatively assess their auditory capabilities, the hearing of two young spotted seals was tested using a psychophysical paradigm. Absolute detection thresholds for tonal sounds were measured in air and under water over the frequency range of hearing, and critical ratios were determined using octave-band masking noise in both media. The behavioral audiograms show a range of best sensitivity spanning four octaves in air, from approximately 0.6 to 11 kHz. The range of sensitive hearing extends across seven octaves in water, with lowest thresholds between 0.3 and 56 kHz. Critical ratio measurements were similar in air and water and increased monotonically from 12 dB at 0.1 kHz to 30 dB at 25.6 kHz, indicating that the auditory systems of these seals are quite efficient at extracting signals from background noise. This study demonstrates that spotted seals possess sound reception capabilities different from those previously described for ice seals, and more similar to those reported for harbor seals (Phoca vitulina). The results are consistent with the amphibious lifestyle of these seals and their apparent reliance on sound. The hearing data reported herein are the first available for spotted seals and can inform best management practices for this vulnerable species in a changing Arctic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jillian M. Sills
- Department of Ocean Sciences, University of California at Santa Cruz, 100 Shaffer Road, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Brandon L. Southall
- Institute of Marine Sciences, Long Marine Laboratory, University of California at Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
- SEA, Inc., 9099 Soquel Drive, Suite 8, Aptos, CA 95003, USA
| | - Colleen Reichmuth
- Institute of Marine Sciences, Long Marine Laboratory, University of California at Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
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50
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Sauvé CC, Van de Walle J, Hammill MO, Arnould JPY, Beauplet G. Stomach temperature records reveal nursing behaviour and transition to solid food consumption in an unweaned mammal, the harbour seal pup (Phoca vitulina). PLoS One 2014; 9:e90329. [PMID: 24587327 PMCID: PMC3936010 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0090329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2013] [Accepted: 01/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Knowledge of milk transfer from mother to offspring and early solid food ingestions in mammals allows for a greater understanding of the factors affecting transition to nutritional independence and pre-weaning growth and survival. Yet studies monitoring suckling behaviour have often relied on visual observations, which might not accurately represent milk intake. We assessed the use of stomach temperature telemetry to monitor suckling and foraging behaviour in free-ranging harbour seal (Phoca vitulina) pups during lactation. Stomach temperature declines were analysed using principal component and cluster analyses, as well as trials using simulated stomachs resulting in a precise classification of stomach temperature drops into milk, seawater and solid food ingestions. Seawater and solid food ingestions represented on average 15.3±1.6% [0–40.0%] and 0.7±0.2% [0–13.0%], respectively, of individual ingestions. Overall, 63.7% of milk ingestions occurred while the pups were in the water, of which 13.9% were preceded by seawater ingestion. The average time between subsequent ingestions was significantly less for seawater than for milk ingestions. These results suggest that seawater ingestion might represent collateral ingestion during aquatic suckling attempts. Alternatively, as solid food ingestions (n = 19) were observed among 7 pups, seawater ingestion could result from missed prey capture attempts. This study shows that some harbour seals start ingesting prey while still being nursed, indicating that weaning occurs more gradually than previously thought in this species. Stomach temperature telemetry represents a promising method to study suckling behaviour in wild mammals and transition to nutritional independence in various endotherm species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline C. Sauvé
- Département de Biologie, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
- Québec-Océan, Québec, Québec, Canada
- * E-mail:
| | - Joanie Van de Walle
- Département de Biologie, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
- Québec-Océan, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Mike O. Hammill
- Québec-Océan, Québec, Québec, Canada
- Maurice Lamontagne Institute, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Mont-Joli, Québec, Canada
| | - John P. Y. Arnould
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia
| | - Gwénaël Beauplet
- Département de Biologie, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
- Québec-Océan, Québec, Québec, Canada
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