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Pratt EAL, Beheregaray LB, Fruet P, Tezanos-Pinto G, Bilgmann K, Zanardo N, Diaz-Aguirre F, Secchi ER, Freitas TRO, Möller LM. Genomic Divergence and the Evolution of Ecotypes in Bottlenose Dolphins (Genus Tursiops). Genome Biol Evol 2023; 15:evad199. [PMID: 37935115 PMCID: PMC10655200 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evad199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Climatic changes have caused major environmental restructuring throughout the world's oceans. Marine organisms have responded to novel conditions through various biological systems, including genomic adaptation. Growing accessibility of next-generation DNA sequencing methods to study nonmodel species has recently allowed genomic changes underlying environmental adaptations to be investigated. This study used double-digest restriction-site associated DNA (ddRAD) sequence data to investigate the genomic basis of ecotype formation across currently recognized species and subspecies of bottlenose dolphins (genus Tursiops) in the Southern Hemisphere. Subspecies-level genomic divergence was confirmed between the offshore common bottlenose dolphin (T. truncatus truncatus) and the inshore Lahille's bottlenose dolphin (T. t. gephyreus) from the southwestern Atlantic Ocean (SWAO). Similarly, subspecies-level divergence is suggested between inshore (eastern Australia) Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (T. aduncus) and the proposed Burrunan dolphin (T. australis) from southern Australia. Inshore bottlenose dolphin lineages generally had lower genomic diversity than offshore lineages, a pattern particularly evident for T. t. gephyreus, which showed exceptionally low diversity. Genomic regions associated with cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and energy production systems appear to have undergone repeated adaptive evolution in inshore lineages across the Southern Hemisphere. We hypothesize that comparable selective pressures in the inshore environment drove similar adaptive responses in each lineage, supporting parallel evolution of inshore bottlenose dolphins. With climate change altering marine ecosystems worldwide, it is crucial to gain an understanding of the adaptive capacity of local species and populations. Our study provides insights into key adaptive pathways that may be important for the long-term survival of cetaceans and other organisms in a changing marine environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor A L Pratt
- Molecular Ecology Laboratory, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia
- Cetacean Ecology, Behaviour and Evolution Laboratory, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia
| | - Luciano B Beheregaray
- Molecular Ecology Laboratory, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia
| | - Pedro Fruet
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação da Megafauna Marinha (ECOMEGA), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande-FURG, Rio Grande, Brazil
- Museu Oceanográfico Prof. Eliézer de C. Rios, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande-FURG, Rio Grande, Brazil
- Kaosa, Rio Grande, Brazil
| | | | - Kerstin Bilgmann
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Nikki Zanardo
- Molecular Ecology Laboratory, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia
- Cetacean Ecology, Behaviour and Evolution Laboratory, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia
- Department of Environment and Water, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Fernando Diaz-Aguirre
- Molecular Ecology Laboratory, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia
- Cetacean Ecology, Behaviour and Evolution Laboratory, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia
| | - Eduardo R Secchi
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação da Megafauna Marinha (ECOMEGA), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande-FURG, Rio Grande, Brazil
- Museu Oceanográfico Prof. Eliézer de C. Rios, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande-FURG, Rio Grande, Brazil
| | - Thales R O Freitas
- Laboratório de Citogenética e Evolução, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Luciana M Möller
- Molecular Ecology Laboratory, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia
- Cetacean Ecology, Behaviour and Evolution Laboratory, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia
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2
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Louis M, Korlević P, Nykänen M, Archer F, Berrow S, Brownlow A, Lorenzen ED, O'Brien J, Post K, Racimo F, Rogan E, Rosel PE, Sinding MHS, van der Es H, Wales N, Fontaine MC, Gaggiotti OE, Foote AD. Ancient dolphin genomes reveal rapid repeated adaptation to coastal waters. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4020. [PMID: 37463880 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39532-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Parallel evolution provides strong evidence of adaptation by natural selection due to local environmental variation. Yet, the chronology, and mode of the process of parallel evolution remains debated. Here, we harness the temporal resolution of paleogenomics to address these long-standing questions, by comparing genomes originating from the mid-Holocene (8610-5626 years before present, BP) to contemporary pairs of coastal-pelagic ecotypes of bottlenose dolphin. We find that the affinity of ancient samples to coastal populations increases as the age of the samples decreases. We assess the youngest genome (5626 years BP) at sites previously inferred to be under parallel selection to coastal habitats and find it contained coastal-associated genotypes. Thus, coastal-associated variants rose to detectable frequencies close to the emergence of coastal habitat. Admixture graph analyses reveal a reticulate evolutionary history between pelagic and coastal populations, sharing standing genetic variation that facilitated rapid adaptation to newly emerged coastal habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Louis
- Centre for Biological Diversity, Sir Harold Mitchell Building and Dyers Brae, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9TH, Scotland, UK.
- Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 5-7, 1350, Copenhagen K, Denmark.
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, PO Box 11103 CC, Groningen, The Netherlands.
- Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, Kivioq 2, Nuuk, 3900, Greenland.
| | - Petra Korlević
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Milaja Nykänen
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, PO Box 111, FI-80101, Joensuu, Finland
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, North Mall, Cork, Ireland
| | - Frederick Archer
- Marine Mammal and Turtle Division, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, NOAA, 8901 La Jolla Shores Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Simon Berrow
- Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, Kilrush, Co Clare, Ireland
- Marine and Freshwater Research Centre, Department of Natural Sciences, School of Science and Computing, Atlantic Technological University, Dublin Road, H91 T8NW, Galway, Ireland
| | - Andrew Brownlow
- Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme, Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Eline D Lorenzen
- Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 5-7, 1350, Copenhagen K, Denmark
| | - Joanne O'Brien
- Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, Kilrush, Co Clare, Ireland
- Marine and Freshwater Research Centre, Department of Natural Sciences, School of Science and Computing, Atlantic Technological University, Dublin Road, H91 T8NW, Galway, Ireland
| | - Klaas Post
- Natural History Museum Rotterdam, Westzeedijk 345, 3015 AA, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Fernando Racimo
- Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 5-7, 1350, Copenhagen K, Denmark
| | - Emer Rogan
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, North Mall, Cork, Ireland
| | - Patricia E Rosel
- Marine Mammal and Turtle Division, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, NOAA, 646 Cajundome Boulevard, Lafayette, LA, 70506, USA
| | - Mikkel-Holger S Sinding
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Ole Maaløes Vej 5, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Henry van der Es
- Natural History Museum Rotterdam, Westzeedijk 345, 3015 AA, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Nathan Wales
- University of York, BioArCh, Environment Building, Wentworth Way, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Michael C Fontaine
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, PO Box 11103 CC, Groningen, The Netherlands
- MIVEGEC (Université de Montpellier, CNRS 5290, IRD 229) Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), F-34394, Montpellier, France
| | - Oscar E Gaggiotti
- Centre for Biological Diversity, Sir Harold Mitchell Building and Dyers Brae, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9TH, Scotland, UK
| | - Andrew D Foote
- Department of Natural History, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), NO-7491, Trondheim, Norway.
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, 0316, Oslo, Norway.
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3
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Costa APB, Archer FI, Rosel PE, Perrin WF. Tursiops truncatus nuuanu, a new subspecies of the common bottlenose dolphin from the eastern tropical Pacific. J MAMM EVOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10914-022-09641-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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4
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Gillet A, Frédérich B, Pierce SE, Parmentier E. Iterative Habitat Transitions are Associated with Morphological Convergence of the Backbone in Delphinoids. J MAMM EVOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10914-022-09615-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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5
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OUP accepted manuscript. Zool J Linn Soc 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlac025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
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6
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Louis M, Galimberti M, Archer F, Berrow S, Brownlow A, Fallon R, Nykänen M, O'Brien J, Roberston KM, Rosel PE, Simon-Bouhet B, Wegmann D, Fontaine MC, Foote AD, Gaggiotti OE. Selection on ancestral genetic variation fuels repeated ecotype formation in bottlenose dolphins. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabg1245. [PMID: 34705499 PMCID: PMC8550227 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abg1245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Studying repeated adaptation can provide insights into the mechanisms allowing species to adapt to novel environments. Here, we investigate repeated evolution driven by habitat specialization in the common bottlenose dolphin. Parapatric pelagic and coastal ecotypes of common bottlenose dolphins have repeatedly formed across the oceans. Analyzing whole genomes of 57 individuals, we find that ecotype evolution involved a complex reticulated evolutionary history. We find parallel linked selection acted upon ancient alleles in geographically distant coastal populations, which were present as standing genetic variation in the pelagic populations. Candidate loci evolving under parallel linked selection were found in ancient tracts, suggesting recurrent bouts of selection through time. Therefore, despite the constraints of small effective population size and long generation time on the efficacy of selection, repeated adaptation in long-lived social species can be driven by a combination of ecological opportunities and selection acting on ancestral standing genetic variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Louis
- Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, East Sands, St Andrews KY16 8LB, Scotland, UK
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chize, La Rochelle Université, 17000 La Rochelle, France
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, PO Box 11103 CC, Groningen, Netherlands
- Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 5, 1350 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Marco Galimberti
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg 1700, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Fribourg 1700, Switzerland
| | - Frederick Archer
- National Marine Fisheries Service, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, NOAA, 8901 La Jolla Shores Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Simon Berrow
- Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, Kilrush, Co Clare, Ireland
- Marine and Freshwater Research Centre, Department of Natural Sciences, School of Science and Computing, Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, Dublin Road, H91 T8NW Galway, Ireland
| | - Andrew Brownlow
- Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme, Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Ramon Fallon
- School of Medicine, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9TF, Scotland, UK
| | | | - Joanne O'Brien
- Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, Kilrush, Co Clare, Ireland
- Marine and Freshwater Research Centre, Department of Natural Sciences, School of Science and Computing, Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, Dublin Road, H91 T8NW Galway, Ireland
| | - Kelly M Roberston
- National Marine Fisheries Service, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, NOAA, 8901 La Jolla Shores Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Patricia E Rosel
- National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, NOAA, 646 Cajundome Boulevard, Lafayette, LA 70506, USA
| | - Benoit Simon-Bouhet
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chize, La Rochelle Université, 17000 La Rochelle, France
| | - Daniel Wegmann
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg 1700, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Fribourg 1700, Switzerland
| | - Michael C Fontaine
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, PO Box 11103 CC, Groningen, Netherlands
- MIVEGEC, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Montpellier, France
- Centre de Recherche en Écologie et Évolution de la Santé (CREES), Montpellier, France
| | - Andrew D Foote
- Molecular Ecology and Evolution Bangor, Environment Centre Wales, School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, UK
- Department of Natural History, University Museum, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Erling Skakkes gate 47A, Trondheim 7012, Norway
| | - Oscar E Gaggiotti
- Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, East Sands, St Andrews KY16 8LB, Scotland, UK
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7
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Faria R, Johannesson K, Stankowski S. Speciation in marine environments: Diving under the surface. J Evol Biol 2021; 34:4-15. [PMID: 33460491 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Revised: 12/31/2020] [Accepted: 01/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Marine environments are inhabited by a broad representation of the tree of life, yet our understanding of speciation in marine ecosystems is extremely limited compared with terrestrial and freshwater environments. Developing a more comprehensive picture of speciation in marine environments requires that we 'dive under the surface' by studying a wider range of taxa and ecosystems is necessary for a more comprehensive picture of speciation. Although studying marine evolutionary processes is often challenging, recent technological advances in different fields, from maritime engineering to genomics, are making it increasingly possible to study speciation of marine life forms across diverse ecosystems and taxa. Motivated by recent research in the field, including the 14 contributions in this issue, we highlight and discuss six axes of research that we think will deepen our understanding of speciation in the marine realm: (a) study a broader range of marine environments and organisms; (b) identify the reproductive barriers driving speciation between marine taxa; (c) understand the role of different genomic architectures underlying reproductive isolation; (d) infer the evolutionary history of divergence using model-based approaches; (e) study patterns of hybridization and introgression between marine taxa; and (f) implement highly interdisciplinary, collaborative research programmes. In outlining these goals, we hope to inspire researchers to continue filling this critical knowledge gap surrounding the origins of marine biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Faria
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO, Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal.,CIIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Portugal.,Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Kerstin Johannesson
- Department of Marine Sciences-Tjärnö, University of Gothenburg, Strömstad, Sweden
| | - Sean Stankowski
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom.,IST Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria
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8
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Luís AR, May-Collado LJ, Rako-Gospić N, Gridley T, Papale E, Azevedo A, Silva MA, Buscaino G, Herzing D, dos Santos ME. Vocal universals and geographic variations in the acoustic repertoire of the common bottlenose dolphin. Sci Rep 2021; 11:11847. [PMID: 34088923 PMCID: PMC8178411 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-90710-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Acoustical geographic variation is common in widely distributed species and it is already described for several taxa, at various scales. In cetaceans, intraspecific variation in acoustic repertoires has been linked to ecological factors, geographical barriers, and social processes. For the common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), studies on acoustic variability are scarce, focus on a single signal type-whistles and on the influence of environmental variables. Here, we analyze the acoustic emissions of nine bottlenose dolphin populations across the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, and identify common signal types and acoustic variants to assess repertoires' (dis)similarity. Overall, these dolphins present a rich acoustic repertoire, with 24 distinct signal sub-types including: whistles, burst-pulsed sounds, brays and bangs. Acoustic divergence was observed only in social signals, suggesting the relevance of cultural transmission in geographic variation. The repertoire dissimilarity values were remarkably low (from 0.08 to 0.4) and do not reflect the geographic distances among populations. Our findings suggest that acoustic ecology may play an important role in the occurrence of intraspecific variability, as proposed by the 'environmental adaptation hypothesis'. Further work may clarify the boundaries between neighboring populations, and shed light into vocal learning and cultural transmission in bottlenose dolphin societies.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. R. Luís
- grid.410954.d0000 0001 2237 5901MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, ISPA - Instituto Universitário, Rua Jardim do Tabaco, 34, 1149-041 Lisboa, Portugal ,Projecto Delfim - Centro Português de Estudo dos Mamíferos Marinhos, Rua Jardim do Tabaco, 34, 1149-041 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - L. J. May-Collado
- grid.59062.380000 0004 1936 7689Department of Biology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05403 USA ,grid.412889.e0000 0004 1937 0706Centro de Investigacion en Ciencias del Mar y Limnologia, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Jose, Costa Rica
| | - N. Rako-Gospić
- Blue World Institute of Marine Research and Conservation, Kaštel 24, 51551 Veli Lošinj, Croatia
| | - T. Gridley
- grid.7836.a0000 0004 1937 1151Centre for Statistics in Ecology, Environment and Conservation, Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Cape Town, C/O Sea Search Research and Conservation NPC, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - E. Papale
- grid.5326.20000 0001 1940 4177Institute for the Study of Antropogenic Impacts and Sustainability in the Marine Environment, National Research Council, Capo Granitola, Via del Mare 3, 91021 Torretta Granitola (TP), Italy ,grid.7605.40000 0001 2336 6580Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Torino, Italy
| | - A. Azevedo
- grid.412211.5Laboratório de Mamíferos Aquáticos e Bioindicadores Profª Izabel Gurgel (MAQUA), Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - M. A. Silva
- grid.7338.f0000 0001 2096 9474OKEANOS & IMAR – Instituto do Mar, Universidade dos Açores, 9901-862 Horta, Portugal
| | - G. Buscaino
- grid.5326.20000 0001 1940 4177Institute for the Study of Antropogenic Impacts and Sustainability in the Marine Environment, National Research Council, Capo Granitola, Via del Mare 3, 91021 Torretta Granitola (TP), Italy
| | - D. Herzing
- Wild Dolphin Project, P.O. Box 8436, Jupiter, FL 33468 USA ,grid.255951.f0000 0004 0635 0263Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431 USA
| | - M. E. dos Santos
- grid.410954.d0000 0001 2237 5901MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, ISPA - Instituto Universitário, Rua Jardim do Tabaco, 34, 1149-041 Lisboa, Portugal ,Projecto Delfim - Centro Português de Estudo dos Mamíferos Marinhos, Rua Jardim do Tabaco, 34, 1149-041 Lisboa, Portugal
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9
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Loureiro JD, Migliorisi AL, Loureiro JP, Rodríguez Heredia S, Rebollo J, Álvarez KC, Morón S, Nuñez Favre R. Breeding program in rehabilitated bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus gephyreus) from the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean. Zoo Biol 2021; 40:208-217. [PMID: 33606298 DOI: 10.1002/zoo.21592] [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: 06/23/2020] [Revised: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Tursiops truncatus gephyreus is only found in the inshore waters of the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean. They are organized in small socially, structured groups, which lead to low genetic variability and high anthropogenic threats. Currently, the information about their reproductive biology and management is still insufficient. Thus, this study aims to present novel information recorded for 20 years regarding reproductive parameters in a small population of captive T. t. gephyreus. Three of the animals involved were found stranded in La Plata River estuary and, the other two were born at the oceanarium. Thirteen semen evaluations showed high-quality semen with a low percentage of sperm abnormalities. Twelve pregnancies and parturitions were observed. There was a clear calving seasonality during austral spring and summer. The duration of phase-2 of labor was approximately 80 min, being the caudal presentation the most frequent. The average inter-birth interval (IBI) was about 33 months. This is the first report that closely monitored parturition, IBI, and seminal evaluation in this species. Information gathered during this program will allow the development of adequate conservation plans for free-ranging populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julio D Loureiro
- Oceanario Mundo Marino, San Clemente del Tuyú, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Fundación Mundo Marino, San Clemente del Tuyú, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ana L Migliorisi
- Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Juan P Loureiro
- Oceanario Mundo Marino, San Clemente del Tuyú, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Fundación Mundo Marino, San Clemente del Tuyú, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Sergio Rodríguez Heredia
- Oceanario Mundo Marino, San Clemente del Tuyú, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Fundación Mundo Marino, San Clemente del Tuyú, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Jorge Rebollo
- Oceanario Mundo Marino, San Clemente del Tuyú, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Karina C Álvarez
- Oceanario Mundo Marino, San Clemente del Tuyú, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Fundación Mundo Marino, San Clemente del Tuyú, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Sergio Morón
- Oceanario Mundo Marino, San Clemente del Tuyú, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Fundación Mundo Marino, San Clemente del Tuyú, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Romina Nuñez Favre
- Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), CABA, Argentina
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