1
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Stuart KC, Tan HZ, Whibley A, Bailey S, Brekke P, Ewen JG, Patel S, Santure AW. Both Structural Variant and Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Load Impact Lifetime Fitness in a Threatened Bird Species. Mol Ecol 2024:e17631. [PMID: 39690519 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2024] [Revised: 10/04/2024] [Accepted: 10/28/2024] [Indexed: 12/19/2024]
Abstract
The field of conservation genomics is becoming increasingly interested in whether, and how, structural variant (SV) genotype information can be leveraged in the management of threatened species. The functional consequences of SVs are more complex than for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), as SVs typically impact a larger proportion of the genome due to their size and thus may be more likely to contribute to load. While the impacts of SV-specific genetic load may be less consequential for large populations, the interplay between weakened selection and stochastic processes means that smaller populations, such as those of the threatened Aotearoa hihi/New Zealand stitchbird (Notiomystis cincta), may harbour a high SV load. Hihi were once confined to a single remnant population, but have been reestablished into six sanctuaries and reserves, often via secondary bottlenecks, resulting in low genetic diversity, low adaptive potential, and inbreeding depression. In this study, we use whole genome resequencing of 30 individuals from the Tiritiri Matangi population to identify the nature and distribution of both SNPs and SVs within this small avian population. We find that SNP and SV individual mutation load is only moderately correlated, likely because SVs arise in regions of high recombination and that are less evolutionarily conserved. Finally, we leverage a long-term monitoring dataset of pedigree and fitness data to assess the impact of SNP and SV mutation loads on individual fitness, and find that SNP and SV realised load had similar negative correlations with lifetime fitness. However, of the masked load metrics, only SVs had a positive significant correlation with lifetime fitness, indicating that masking of deleterious alleles may be more important for SVs than for SNPs. The results of this study indicate that only examining SNPs neglects important aspects of intra-specific variation and that studying SVs has direct implications for linking genetic diversity and genomic health to inform management decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarina C Stuart
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, Aotearoa, New Zealand
- University of new South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Hui Zhen Tan
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, Aotearoa, New Zealand
| | - Annabel Whibley
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, Aotearoa, New Zealand
- Bragato Research Institute, Blenheim, Aotearoa, New Zealand
| | - Sarah Bailey
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, Aotearoa, New Zealand
| | - Patricia Brekke
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, UK
| | - John G Ewen
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, UK
| | - Selina Patel
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, Aotearoa, New Zealand
| | - Anna W Santure
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, Aotearoa, New Zealand
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2
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Lavanchy E, Cumer T, Topaloudis A, Ducrest AL, Simon C, Roulin A, Goudet J. Too big to purge: persistence of deleterious Mutations in Island populations of the European Barn Owl (Tyto alba). Heredity (Edinb) 2024; 133:437-449. [PMID: 39397112 PMCID: PMC11589586 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-024-00728-8] [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: 04/25/2024] [Revised: 09/24/2024] [Accepted: 09/25/2024] [Indexed: 10/15/2024] Open
Abstract
A key aspect of assessing the risk of extinction/extirpation for a particular wild species or population is the status of inbreeding, but the origin of inbreeding and the current mutational load are also two crucial factors to consider when determining survival probability of a population. In this study, we used samples from 502 barn owls from continental and island populations across Europe, with the aim of quantifying and comparing the level of inbreeding between populations with differing demographic histories. In addition to comparing inbreeding status, we determined whether inbreeding is due to non-random mating or high co-ancestry within the population. We show that islands have higher levels of inbreeding than continental populations, and that this is mainly due to small effective population sizes rather than recent consanguineous mating. We assess the probability that a region is autozygous along the genome and show that this probability decreased as the number of genes present in that region increased. Finally, we looked for evidence of reduced selection efficiency and purging in island populations. Among island populations, we found an increase in numbers of both neutral and deleterious minor alleles, possibly as a result of drift and decreased selection efficiency but we found no evidence of purging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eléonore Lavanchy
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Tristan Cumer
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alexandros Topaloudis
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Anne-Lyse Ducrest
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Céline Simon
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alexandre Roulin
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jérôme Goudet
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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3
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Hemstrom W, Grummer JA, Luikart G, Christie MR. Next-generation data filtering in the genomics era. Nat Rev Genet 2024; 25:750-767. [PMID: 38877133 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-024-00738-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
Genomic data are ubiquitous across disciplines, from agriculture to biodiversity, ecology, evolution and human health. However, these datasets often contain noise or errors and are missing information that can affect the accuracy and reliability of subsequent computational analyses and conclusions. A key step in genomic data analysis is filtering - removing sequencing bases, reads, genetic variants and/or individuals from a dataset - to improve data quality for downstream analyses. Researchers are confronted with a multitude of choices when filtering genomic data; they must choose which filters to apply and select appropriate thresholds. To help usher in the next generation of genomic data filtering, we review and suggest best practices to improve the implementation, reproducibility and reporting standards for filter types and thresholds commonly applied to genomic datasets. We focus mainly on filters for minor allele frequency, missing data per individual or per locus, linkage disequilibrium and Hardy-Weinberg deviations. Using simulated and empirical datasets, we illustrate the large effects of different filtering thresholds on common population genetics statistics, such as Tajima's D value, population differentiation (FST), nucleotide diversity (π) and effective population size (Ne).
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Affiliation(s)
- William Hemstrom
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
| | - Jared A Grummer
- Flathead Lake Biological Station, Wildlife Biology Program and Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Gordon Luikart
- Flathead Lake Biological Station, Wildlife Biology Program and Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Mark R Christie
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
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4
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Bailey E, Finno CJ, Cullen JN, Kalbfleisch T, Petersen JL. Analyses of whole-genome sequences from 185 North American Thoroughbred horses, spanning 5 generations. Sci Rep 2024; 14:22930. [PMID: 39358442 PMCID: PMC11447028 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-73645-9] [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: 05/12/2024] [Accepted: 09/19/2024] [Indexed: 10/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Whole genome sequences (WGS) of 185 North American Thoroughbred horses were compared to quantify the number and frequency of variants, diversity of mitotypes, and autosomal runs of homozygosity (ROH). Of the samples, 82 horses were born between 1965 and 1986 (Group 1); the remaining 103, selected to maximize pedigree diversity, were born between 2000 and 2020 (Group 2). Over 14.3 million autosomal variants were identified with 4.5-5.0 million found per horse. Mitochondrial sequences associated the North American Thoroughbreds with 9 of 17 clades previously identified among diverse breeds. Individual coefficients of inbreeding, estimated from ROH, averaged 0.266 (Group 1) and 0.283 (Group 2). When SNP arrays were simulated using subsets of WGS markers, the arrays over-estimated lengths of ROH. WGS-based estimates of inbreeding were highly correlated (r > 0.98) with SNP array-based estimates, but only moderately correlated (r = 0.40) with inbreeding based on 5-generation pedigrees. On average, Group 1 horses had more heterozygous variants (P < 0.001), more total variants (P < 0.001), and lower individual inbreeding (FROH; P < 0.001) than horses in Group 2. However, the distribution of numbers of variants, allele frequency, and extent of ROH overlapped among all horses such that it was not possible to identify the group of origin of any single horse using these measures. Consequently, the Thoroughbred population would be better monitored by investigating changes in specific variants, rather than relying on broad measures of diversity. The WGS for these 185 horses is publicly available for comparison to other populations and as a foundation for modeling changes in population structure, breeding practices, or the appearance of deleterious variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ernie Bailey
- University of Kentucky, Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center, Lexington, KY, 40546, USA
| | - Carrie J Finno
- University of California-Davis, Population Health and Reproduction, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Jonah N Cullen
- Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Ted Kalbfleisch
- University of Kentucky, Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center, Lexington, KY, 40546, USA.
| | - Jessica L Petersen
- Department of Animal Science, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68583-0908, USA.
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5
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Silva GAA, Harder AM, Kirksey KB, Mathur S, Willoughby JR. Detectability of runs of homozygosity is influenced by analysis parameters and population-specific demographic history. PLoS Comput Biol 2024; 20:e1012566. [PMID: 39480880 PMCID: PMC11556709 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1012566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2024] [Revised: 11/12/2024] [Accepted: 10/17/2024] [Indexed: 11/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Wild populations are increasingly threatened by human-mediated climate change and land use changes. As populations decline, the probability of inbreeding increases, along with the potential for negative effects on individual fitness. Detecting and characterizing runs of homozygosity (ROHs) is a popular strategy for assessing the extent of individual inbreeding present in a population and can also shed light on the genetic mechanisms contributing to inbreeding depression. Here, we analyze simulated and empirical datasets to demonstrate the downstream effects of program selection and long-term demographic history on ROH inference, leading to context-dependent biases in the results. Through a sensitivity analysis we evaluate how various parameter values impact ROH-calling results, highlighting its utility as a tool for parameter exploration. Our results indicate that ROH inferences are sensitive to factors such as sequencing depth and ROH length distribution, with bias direction and magnitude varying with demographic history and the programs used. Estimation biases are particularly pronounced at lower sequencing depths, potentially leading to either underestimation or overestimation of inbreeding. These results are particularly important for the management of endangered species, as underestimating inbreeding signals in the genome can substantially undermine conservation initiatives. We also found that small true ROHs can be incorrectly lumped together and called as longer ROHs, leading to erroneous inference of recent inbreeding. To address these challenges, we suggest using a combination of ROH detection tools and ROH length-specific inferences, along with sensitivity analysis, to generate robust and context-appropriate population inferences regarding inbreeding history. We outline these recommendations for ROH estimation at multiple levels of sequencing effort, which are typical of conservation genomics studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel A. A. Silva
- College of Forestry, Wildlife, and Environment, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Avril M. Harder
- College of Forestry, Wildlife, and Environment, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Kenneth B. Kirksey
- Walker College of Business, Appalachian State University, Boone, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Samarth Mathur
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Janna R. Willoughby
- College of Forestry, Wildlife, and Environment, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, United States of America
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6
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Crossman CA, Fontaine MC, Frasier TR. A comparison of genomic diversity and demographic history of the North Atlantic and Southwest Atlantic southern right whales. Mol Ecol 2024; 33:e17099. [PMID: 37577945 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Right whales (genus Eubalaena) were among the first, and most extensively pursued, targets of commercial whaling. However, understanding the impacts of this persecution requires knowledge of the demographic histories of these species prior to exploitation. We used deep whole genome sequencing (~40×) of 12 North Atlantic (E. glacialis) and 10 Southwest Atlantic southern (E. australis) right whales to quantify contemporary levels of genetic diversity and infer their demographic histories over time. Using coalescent- and identity-by-descent-based modelling to estimate ancestral effective population sizes from genomic data, we demonstrate that North Atlantic right whales have lived with smaller effective population sizes (Ne) than southern right whales in the Southwest Atlantic since their divergence and describe the decline in both populations around the time of whaling. North Atlantic right whales exhibit reduced genetic diversity and longer runs of homozygosity leading to higher inbreeding coefficients compared to the sampled population of southern right whales. This study represents the first comprehensive assessment of genome-wide diversity of right whales in the western Atlantic and underscores the benefits of high coverage, genome-wide datasets to help resolve long-standing questions about how historical changes in effective population size over different time scales shape contemporary diversity estimates. This knowledge is crucial to improve our understanding of the right whales' history and inform our approaches to address contemporary conservation issues. Understanding and quantifying the cumulative impact of long-term small Ne, low levels of diversity and recent inbreeding on North Atlantic right whale recovery will be important next steps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla A Crossman
- Biology Department, Saint Mary's University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Michael C Fontaine
- Laboratoire MIVEGEC (Université de Montpellier, CNRS 5290, IRD 224), Montpellier, France
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Timothy R Frasier
- Biology Department, Saint Mary's University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
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7
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Morland F, Ewen JG, Santure AW, Brekke P, Hemmings N. Demographic drivers of reproductive failure in a threatened bird: Insights from a decade of data. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2319104121. [PMID: 39186647 PMCID: PMC11388365 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2319104121] [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: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 08/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Hatching failure affects up to 77% of eggs laid by threatened bird species, yet the true prevalence and drivers of egg fertilization failure versus embryo mortality as underlying mechanisms of hatching failure are unknown. Here, using ten years of data comprising 4,371 eggs laid by a population of a threatened bird, the hihi (Notiomystis cincta), we investigate the relative importance of infertility and embryo death as drivers of hatching failure and explore population-level factors associated with them. We show that of the 1,438 eggs that failed to hatch (33% of laid eggs) between 2010 and 2020, 83% failed due to embryo mortality, with the majority failing in the early stages of embryonic development. In the most comprehensive estimates of infertility rates in a wild bird population to date, we find that fertilization failure accounts for around 17% of hatching failure overall and is more prevalent in years where the population is smaller and more male biased. Male embryos are more likely to die during early development than females, but we find no overall effect of sex on the successful development of embryos. Offspring fathered by within-pair males have significantly higher inbreeding levels than extra-pair offspring; however, we find no effect of inbreeding nor extra-pair paternity on embryo mortality. Accurately distinguishing between infertility and embryo mortality in this study provides unique insight into the underlying causes of reproductive failure over a long-term scale and reveals the complex risks of small population sizes to the reproduction of threatened species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fay Morland
- Department of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, United Kingdom
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London NW8 7LS, United Kingdom
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand
| | - John G Ewen
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London NW8 7LS, United Kingdom
| | - Anna W Santure
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Patricia Brekke
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London NW8 7LS, United Kingdom
| | - Nicola Hemmings
- Department of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, United Kingdom
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8
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Cádiz MI, Tengstedt ANB, Sørensen IH, Pedersen ES, Fox AD, Hansen MM. Demographic History and Inbreeding in Two Declining Sea Duck Species Inferred From Whole-Genome Sequence Data. Evol Appl 2024; 17:e70008. [PMID: 39257569 PMCID: PMC11386304 DOI: 10.1111/eva.70008] [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: 05/11/2024] [Revised: 08/16/2024] [Accepted: 08/19/2024] [Indexed: 09/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic impact has transitioned from threatening already rare species to causing significant declines in once numerous organisms. Long-tailed duck (Clangula hyemalis) and velvet scoter (Melanitta fusca) were once important quarry sea duck species in NW Europe, but recent declines resulted in their reclassification as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. We sequenced and assembled genomes for both species and resequenced 15 individuals of each. Using analyses based on site frequency spectra and sequential Markovian coalescence, we found C. hyemalis to show more historical demographic stability, whereas M. fusca was affected particularly by the Last (Weichselian) Glaciation. This likely reflects C. hyemalis breeding continuously across the Arctic, with cycles of glaciation primarily shifting breeding areas south or north without major population declines, whereas the more restricted southern range of M. fusca would lead to significant range contraction during glaciations. Both species showed evidence of declines over the past thousands of years, potentially reflecting anthropogenic pressures with the recent decline indicating an accelerated process. Analysis of runs of homozygosity (ROH) showed low but nontrivial inbreeding, with F ROH from 0.012 to 0.063 in C. hyemalis and ranging from 0 to 0.047 in M. fusca. Lengths of ROH suggested that this was due to ongoing background inbreeding rather than recent declines. Overall, despite demographically important declines, this has not yet led to strong inbreeding and genetic erosion, and the most pressing conservation concern may be the risk of density-dependent (Allee) effects. We recommend monitoring of inbreeding using ROH analysis as a cost-efficient method to track future developments to support effective conservation of these species.
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Affiliation(s)
- María I Cádiz
- Department of Biology Aarhus University Aarhus Denmark
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9
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Liu Y, Kuang W, Yue B, Zhou C. Genomic diversity and demographic history of the endangered Sichuan hill-partridge (Arborophila rufipectus). J Hered 2024; 115:532-540. [PMID: 38635970 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esae020] [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: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Species conservation can be improved by knowledge of genetic diversity and demographic history. The Sichuan hill-partridge (Arborophila rufipectus, SP) is an endangered species endemic to the mountains in southwestern China. However, little is known about this species' genomic variation and demographic history. Here, we present a comprehensive whole-genome analysis of six SP individuals from the Laojunshan National Nature Reserve in Sichuan Province, China. We observe a relatively high genetic diversity and low level of recent inbreeding in the studied SP individuals. This suggests that the current population carries genetic variability that may benefit the long-term survival of this species, and that the present population may be larger than currently recognized. Analyses of demographic history showed that fluctuations in the effective population size of SP are inconsistent with changes of the historical climate. Strikingly, evidence from demographic modeling suggests SPs population decreased dramatically 15,100 years ago after the Last Glacial Maximum, possibly due to refugial isolation and later human interference. These results provide the first detailed and comprehensive genomic insights into genetic diversity, genomic inbreeding levels, and demographic history of the Sichuan hill-partridge, which are crucial for the conservation and management of this endangered species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Liu
- Fishes Conservation and Utilization in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Neijiang Normal University, Neijiang, China
- Key Laboratory of Bioresources and Eco-environment (Ministry of Education), College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Weimin Kuang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resource in Yunnan, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Bisong Yue
- Key Laboratory of Bioresources and Eco-environment (Ministry of Education), College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Chuang Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Bioresources and Eco-environment (Ministry of Education), College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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10
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Kardos M, Waples RS. Low-coverage sequencing and Wahlund effect severely bias estimates of inbreeding, heterozygosity and effective population size in North American wolves. Mol Ecol 2024:e17415. [PMID: 38785346 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Revised: 05/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
vonHoldt et al. ((2024), Molecular Ecology, 33, e17231) (vH24) used low-coverage (average ~ 7X read depth) restriction site-associated DNA sequence data to estimate individual inbreeding and heterozygosity, and recent effective population size (Ne), in Great Lakes (GL) and Northern Rocky Mountain (RM) wolves. They concluded that RM heterozygosity rapidly declined between 1991 and 2020, and that Ne declined substantially in GL and RM over the last 50 generations. Here, we evaluate the effects of low sequence coverage and sampling strategy on vH24's findings and provide general recommendations for using sequence data to evaluate inbreeding, heterozygosity and Ne. Low-coverage sequencing resulted in downwardly biased estimates of individual inbreeding and heterozygosity, and an erroneous large temporal decline in RM heterozygosity due to declining read depth through time. Additionally, vH24's sampling strategy-which combined individuals from several genetically differentiated populations and across at least eight wolf generations-is expected to have resulted in severe downward bias in estimates of recent Ne for RM. We recommend using high-coverage sequence data (≥ $$ \ge $$ 15-20X) to estimate inbreeding and heterozygosity. Carefully filtering individuals, loci and genotypes, and using genotype imputation or likelihoods can help to minimise bias when low-coverage sequence data must be used. For estimation of contemporary Ne, the marginal benefits of using more than 103-104 loci are small, so aggressive filtering of loci with low average read depth potentially can retain most individuals without sacrificing much precision. Individuals are relatively more valuable than loci because analyses of contemporary Ne should focus on roughly single-generation samples from local breeding populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marty Kardos
- Conservation Biology Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Robin S Waples
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
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11
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vonHoldt BM, Stahler DR, Brzeski KE, Musiani M, Peterson R, Phillips M, Stephenson J, Laudon K, Meredith E, Vucetich JA, Leonard JA, Wayne RK. Demographic history shapes North American gray wolf genomic diversity and informs species' conservation. Mol Ecol 2024; 33:e17231. [PMID: 38054561 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17231] [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: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 11/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
Effective population size estimates are critical information needed for evolutionary predictions and conservation decisions. This is particularly true for species with social factors that restrict access to breeding or experience repeated fluctuations in population size across generations. We investigated the genomic estimates of effective population size along with diversity, subdivision, and inbreeding from 162,109 minimally filtered and 81,595 statistically neutral and unlinked SNPs genotyped in 437 grey wolf samples from North America collected between 1986 and 2021. We found genetic structure across North America, represented by three distinct demographic histories of western, central, and eastern regions of the continent. Further, grey wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains have lower genomic diversity than wolves of the western Great Lakes and have declined over time. Effective population size estimates revealed the historical signatures of continental efforts of predator extermination, despite a quarter century of recovery efforts. We are the first to provide molecular estimates of effective population size across distinct grey wolf populations in North America, which ranged between Ne ~ 275 and 3050 since early 1980s. We provide data that inform managers regarding the status and importance of effective population size estimates for grey wolf conservation, which are on average 5.2-9.3% of census estimates for this species. We show that while grey wolves fall above minimum effective population sizes needed to avoid extinction due to inbreeding depression in the short term, they are below sizes predicted to be necessary to avoid long-term risk of extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bridgett M vonHoldt
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Daniel R Stahler
- Yellowstone Center for Resources, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA
| | - Kristin E Brzeski
- College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA
| | - Marco Musiani
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali (BiGeA), Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Rolf Peterson
- College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA
| | | | | | - Kent Laudon
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Northern Region, Redding, California, USA
| | - Erin Meredith
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Wildlife Forensic Laboratory, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - John A Vucetich
- College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA
| | - Jennifer A Leonard
- Conservation and Evolutionary Genetics Group, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Seville, Spain
| | - Robert K Wayne
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
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12
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Duckett DJ, Calder K, Sullivan J, Tank DC, Carstens BC. Reduced representation approaches produce similar results to whole genome sequencing for some common phylogeographic analyses. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0291941. [PMID: 38032899 PMCID: PMC10688678 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0291941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
When designing phylogeographic investigations researchers can choose to collect many different types of molecular markers, including mitochondrial genes or genomes, SNPs from reduced representation protocols, large sequence capture data sets, and even whole genomes. Given that the statistical power and accuracy of various analyses are expected to differ depending on both the type of marker and the amount of data collected, an exploration of the variance across methodological results as a function of marker type should provide valuable information to researchers. Here we collect mitochondrial Cytochrome b sequences, whole mitochondrial genomes, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP)s isolated using a genotype by sequencing (GBS) protocol, sequences from ultraconserved elements, and low-coverage nuclear genomes from the North American water vole (Microtus richardsoni). We estimate genetic distances, population genetic structure, and historical demography using data from each of these datasets and compare the results across markers. As anticipated, the results exhibit differences across marker types, particularly in terms of the resolution offered by different analyses. A cost-benefit analysis indicates that SNPs collected using a GBS protocol are the most cost-effective molecular marker, with inferences that mirror those collected from the whole genome data at a fraction of the cost per sample.
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Affiliation(s)
- Drew J. Duckett
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States of America
| | - Kailee Calder
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States of America
| | - Jack Sullivan
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, United States of America
| | - David C. Tank
- Department of Botany, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, United States of America
| | - Bryan C. Carstens
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States of America
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13
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Burnett HA, Bieker VC, Le Moullec M, Peeters B, Rosvold J, Pedersen ÅØ, Dalén L, Loe LE, Jensen H, Hansen BB, Martin MD. Contrasting genomic consequences of anthropogenic reintroduction and natural recolonization in high-arctic wild reindeer. Evol Appl 2023; 16:1531-1548. [PMID: 37752961 PMCID: PMC10519417 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic reintroduction can supplement natural recolonization in reestablishing a species' distribution and abundance. However, both reintroductions and recolonizations can give rise to founder effects that reduce genetic diversity and increase inbreeding, potentially causing the accumulation of genetic load and reduced fitness. Most current populations of the endemic high-arctic Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus) originate from recent reintroductions or recolonizations following regional extirpations due to past overharvesting. We investigated and compared the genomic consequences of these two paths to reestablishment using whole-genome shotgun sequencing of 100 Svalbard reindeer across their range. We found little admixture between reintroduced and natural populations. Two reintroduced populations, each founded by 12 individuals around four decades (i.e. 8 reindeer generations) ago, formed two distinct genetic clusters. Compared to the source population, these populations showed only small decreases in genome-wide heterozygosity and increases in inbreeding and lengths of runs of homozygosity. In contrast, the two naturally recolonized populations without admixture possessed much lower heterozygosity, higher inbreeding and longer runs of homozygosity, possibly caused by serial population founder effects and/or fewer or more genetically related founders than in the reintroduction events. Naturally recolonized populations can thus be more vulnerable to the accumulation of genetic load than reintroduced populations. This suggests that in some organisms even small-scale reintroduction programs based on genetically diverse source populations can be more effective than natural recolonization in establishing genetically diverse populations. These findings warrant particular attention in the conservation and management of populations and species threatened by habitat fragmentation and loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamish A. Burnett
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
- Department of Natural History, NTNU University MuseumNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
| | - Vanessa C. Bieker
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
- Department of Natural History, NTNU University MuseumNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
| | - Mathilde Le Moullec
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
| | - Bart Peeters
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
| | - Jørgen Rosvold
- Department of Terrestrial BiodiversityNorwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA)TrondheimNorway
| | | | - Love Dalén
- Centre for PalaeogeneticsStockholmSweden
- Department of Bioinformatics and GeneticsSwedish Museum of Natural HistoryStockholmSweden
- Department of ZoologyStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
| | - Leif Egil Loe
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource ManagementNorwegian University of Life SciencesAasNorway
| | - Henrik Jensen
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
| | - Brage B. Hansen
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
- Department of Terrestrial EcologyNorwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA)TrondheimNorway
| | - Michael D. Martin
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of BiologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
- Department of Natural History, NTNU University MuseumNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
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14
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Meadows JRS, Kidd JM, Wang GD, Parker HG, Schall PZ, Bianchi M, Christmas MJ, Bougiouri K, Buckley RM, Hitte C, Nguyen AK, Wang C, Jagannathan V, Niskanen JE, Frantz LAF, Arumilli M, Hundi S, Lindblad-Toh K, Ginja C, Agustina KK, André C, Boyko AR, Davis BW, Drögemüller M, Feng XY, Gkagkavouzis K, Iliopoulos G, Harris AC, Hytönen MK, Kalthoff DC, Liu YH, Lymberakis P, Poulakakis N, Pires AE, Racimo F, Ramos-Almodovar F, Savolainen P, Venetsani S, Tammen I, Triantafyllidis A, vonHoldt B, Wayne RK, Larson G, Nicholas FW, Lohi H, Leeb T, Zhang YP, Ostrander EA. Genome sequencing of 2000 canids by the Dog10K consortium advances the understanding of demography, genome function and architecture. Genome Biol 2023; 24:187. [PMID: 37582787 PMCID: PMC10426128 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-023-03023-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The international Dog10K project aims to sequence and analyze several thousand canine genomes. Incorporating 20 × data from 1987 individuals, including 1611 dogs (321 breeds), 309 village dogs, 63 wolves, and four coyotes, we identify genomic variation across the canid family, setting the stage for detailed studies of domestication, behavior, morphology, disease susceptibility, and genome architecture and function. RESULTS We report the analysis of > 48 M single-nucleotide, indel, and structural variants spanning the autosomes, X chromosome, and mitochondria. We discover more than 75% of variation for 239 sampled breeds. Allele sharing analysis indicates that 94.9% of breeds form monophyletic clusters and 25 major clades. German Shepherd Dogs and related breeds show the highest allele sharing with independent breeds from multiple clades. On average, each breed dog differs from the UU_Cfam_GSD_1.0 reference at 26,960 deletions and 14,034 insertions greater than 50 bp, with wolves having 14% more variants. Discovered variants include retrogene insertions from 926 parent genes. To aid functional prioritization, single-nucleotide variants were annotated with SnpEff and Zoonomia phyloP constraint scores. Constrained positions were negatively correlated with allele frequency. Finally, the utility of the Dog10K data as an imputation reference panel is assessed, generating high-confidence calls across varied genotyping platform densities including for breeds not included in the Dog10K collection. CONCLUSIONS We have developed a dense dataset of 1987 sequenced canids that reveals patterns of allele sharing, identifies likely functional variants, informs breed structure, and enables accurate imputation. Dog10K data are publicly available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer R S Meadows
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, 75132, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Jeffrey M Kidd
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48107, USA.
| | - Guo-Dong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, China
| | - Heidi G Parker
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, 50 South Drive, Building 50 Room 5351, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Peter Z Schall
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48107, USA
| | - Matteo Bianchi
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, 75132, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Matthew J Christmas
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, 75132, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Katia Bougiouri
- Section for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 5-7, 1350, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Reuben M Buckley
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, 50 South Drive, Building 50 Room 5351, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Christophe Hitte
- University of Rennes, CNRS, Institute Genetics and Development Rennes - UMR6290, 35000, Rennes, France
| | - Anthony K Nguyen
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48107, USA
| | - Chao Wang
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, 75132, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Vidhya Jagannathan
- Institute of Genetics, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, 3001, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Julia E Niskanen
- Department of Medical and Clinical Genetics, Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki and Folkhälsan Research Center, 02900, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Laurent A F Frantz
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E14NS, UK and Palaeogenomics Group, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Ludwig Maximilian University, D-80539, Munich, Germany
| | - Meharji Arumilli
- Department of Medical and Clinical Genetics, Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki and Folkhälsan Research Center, 02900, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Sruthi Hundi
- Department of Medical and Clinical Genetics, Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki and Folkhälsan Research Center, 02900, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kerstin Lindblad-Toh
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, 75132, Uppsala, Sweden
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Catarina Ginja
- BIOPOLIS-CIBIO-InBIO-Centro de Investigação Em Biodiversidade E Recursos Genéticos - ArchGen Group, Universidade Do Porto, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
| | | | - Catherine André
- University of Rennes, CNRS, Institute Genetics and Development Rennes - UMR6290, 35000, Rennes, France
| | - Adam R Boyko
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University, 930 Campus Road, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Brian W Davis
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Michaela Drögemüller
- Institute of Genetics, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, 3001, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Xin-Yao Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, China
| | - Konstantinos Gkagkavouzis
- Department of Genetics, School of Biology, ), Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Macedonia 54124, Greece and Genomics and Epigenomics Translational Research (GENeTres), Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation (CIRI-AUTH, Balkan Center, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Giorgos Iliopoulos
- NGO "Callisto", Wildlife and Nature Conservation Society, 54621, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Alexander C Harris
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, 50 South Drive, Building 50 Room 5351, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Marjo K Hytönen
- Department of Medical and Clinical Genetics, Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki and Folkhälsan Research Center, 02900, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Daniela C Kalthoff
- NGO "Callisto", Wildlife and Nature Conservation Society, 54621, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Yan-Hu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, China
| | - Petros Lymberakis
- Natural History Museum of Crete & Department of Biology, University of Crete, 71202, Irakleio, Greece
- Biology Department, School of Sciences and Engineering, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece
- Palaeogenomics and Evolutionary Genetics Lab, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (IMBB), Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas (FORTH), Heraklion, Greece
| | - Nikolaos Poulakakis
- Natural History Museum of Crete & Department of Biology, University of Crete, 71202, Irakleio, Greece
- Biology Department, School of Sciences and Engineering, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece
- Palaeogenomics and Evolutionary Genetics Lab, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (IMBB), Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas (FORTH), Heraklion, Greece
| | - Ana Elisabete Pires
- BIOPOLIS-CIBIO-InBIO-Centro de Investigação Em Biodiversidade E Recursos Genéticos - ArchGen Group, Universidade Do Porto, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Fernando Racimo
- Section for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 5-7, 1350, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Peter Savolainen
- Department of Gene Technology, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH - Royal Institute of Technology, 17121, Solna, Sweden
| | - Semina Venetsani
- Department of Genetics, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124, Thessaloniki, Macedonia, Greece
| | - Imke Tammen
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2570, Australia
| | - Alexandros Triantafyllidis
- Department of Genetics, School of Biology, ), Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Macedonia 54124, Greece and Genomics and Epigenomics Translational Research (GENeTres), Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation (CIRI-AUTH, Balkan Center, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Bridgett vonHoldt
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA
| | - Robert K Wayne
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-7246, USA
| | - Greger Larson
- Palaeogenomics and Bio-Archaeology Research Network, School of Archaeology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3TG, UK
| | - Frank W Nicholas
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2570, Australia
| | - Hannes Lohi
- Department of Medical and Clinical Genetics, Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki and Folkhälsan Research Center, 02900, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Tosso Leeb
- Institute of Genetics, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, 3001, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Ya-Ping Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, China
| | - Elaine A Ostrander
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, 50 South Drive, Building 50 Room 5351, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
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15
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Solmundson K, Bowman J, Manseau M, Taylor RS, Keobouasone S, Wilson PJ. Genomic population structure and inbreeding history of Lake Superior caribou. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10278. [PMID: 37424935 PMCID: PMC10326607 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Caribou (Rangifer tarandus) have experienced dramatic declines in both range and population size across Canada over the past century. Boreal caribou (R. t. caribou), 1 of the 12 Designatable Units, has lost approximately half of its historic range in the last 150 years, particularly along the southern edge of its distribution. Despite this overall northward contraction, some populations have persisted at the trailing range edge, over 150 km south of the continuous boreal caribou range in Ontario, along the coast and nearshore islands of Lake Superior. The population history of caribou along Lake Superior remains unclear. It appears that these caribou likely represent a remnant distribution at the trailing edge of the receding population of boreal caribou, but they may also exhibit local adaptation to the coastal environment. A better understanding of the population structure and history of caribou along Lake Superior is important for their conservation and management. Here, we use high-coverage whole genomes (N = 20) from boreal, eastern migratory, and barren-ground caribou sampled in Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec to investigate population structure and inbreeding histories. We discovered that caribou from the Lake Superior range form a distinct group but also found some evidence of gene flow with the continuous boreal caribou range. Notably, caribou along Lake Superior demonstrated relatively high levels of inbreeding (measured as runs of homozygosity; ROH) and genetic drift, which may contribute to the differentiation observed between ranges. Despite inbreeding, caribou along Lake Superior retained high heterozygosity, particularly in genomic regions without ROH. These results suggest that they present distinct genomic characteristics but also some level of gene flow with the continuous range. Our study provides key insights into the genomics of the southernmost range of caribou in Ontario, beginning to unravel the evolutionary history of these small, isolated caribou populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten Solmundson
- Environmental & Life Sciences Graduate ProgramTrent UniversityPeterboroughOntarioCanada
| | - Jeff Bowman
- Environmental & Life Sciences Graduate ProgramTrent UniversityPeterboroughOntarioCanada
- Wildlife Research and Monitoring Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and ForestryTrent UniversityPeterboroughOntarioCanada
| | - Micheline Manseau
- Environmental & Life Sciences Graduate ProgramTrent UniversityPeterboroughOntarioCanada
- Landscape Science and Technology DivisionEnvironment and Climate Change CanadaOttawaOntarioCanada
| | - Rebecca S. Taylor
- Landscape Science and Technology DivisionEnvironment and Climate Change CanadaOttawaOntarioCanada
| | - Sonesinh Keobouasone
- Landscape Science and Technology DivisionEnvironment and Climate Change CanadaOttawaOntarioCanada
| | - Paul J. Wilson
- Biology DepartmentTrent UniversityPeterboroughOntarioCanada
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16
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Genomic diversity and signals of selection processes in wild and farm-reared red-legged partridges (Alectoris rufa). Genomics 2023; 115:110591. [PMID: 36849018 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2023.110591] [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: 04/15/2022] [Revised: 02/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 02/27/2023]
Abstract
The genetic dynamics of wild populations with releases of farm-reared reinforcements are very complex. These releases can endanger wild populations through genetic swamping or by displacing them. We assessed the genomic differences between wild and farm-reared red-legged partridges (Alectoris rufa) and described differential selection signals between both populations. We sequenced the whole genome of 30 wild and 30 farm-reared partridges. Both partridges had similar nucleotide diversity (π). Farm-reared partridges had a more negative Tajima's D and more and longer regions of extended haplotype homozygosity than wild partridges. We observed higher inbreeding coefficients (FIS and FROH) in wild partridges. Selective sweeps (Rsb) were enriched with genes that contribute to the reproductive, skin and feather colouring, and behavioural differences between wild and farm-reared partridges. The analysis of genomic diversity should inform future decisions for the preservation of wild populations.
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17
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Hogg CJ, Silver L, McLennan EA, Belov K. Koala Genome Survey: An Open Data Resource to Improve Conservation Planning. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:genes14030546. [PMID: 36980819 PMCID: PMC10048327 DOI: 10.3390/genes14030546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Genome sequencing is a powerful tool that can inform the management of threatened species. Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) are a globally recognized species that captured the hearts and minds of the world during the 2019/2020 Australian megafires. In 2022, koalas were listed as ‘Endangered’ in Queensland, New South Wales, and the Australian Capital Territory. Populations have declined because of various threats such as land clearing, habitat fragmentation, and disease, all of which are exacerbated by climate change. Here, we present the Koala Genome Survey, an open data resource that was developed after the Australian megafires. A systematic review conducted in 2020 demonstrated that our understanding of genomic diversity within koala populations was scant, with only a handful of SNP studies conducted. Interrogating data showed that only 6 of 49 New South Wales areas of regional koala significance had meaningful genome-wide data, with only 7 locations in Queensland with SNP data and 4 locations in Victoria. In 2021, we launched the Koala Genome Survey to generate resequenced genomes across the Australian east coast. We have publicly released 430 koala genomes (average coverage: 32.25X, range: 11.3–66.8X) on the Amazon Web Services Open Data platform to accelerate research that can inform current and future conservation planning.
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18
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Martin CA, Sheppard EC, Illera JC, Suh A, Nadachowska-Brzyska K, Spurgin LG, Richardson DS. Runs of homozygosity reveal past bottlenecks and contemporary inbreeding across diverging populations of an island-colonizing bird. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:1972-1989. [PMID: 36704917 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Genomes retain evidence of the demographic history and evolutionary forces that have shaped populations and drive speciation. Across island systems, contemporary patterns of genetic diversity reflect population demography, including colonization events, bottlenecks, gene flow and genetic drift. Here, we investigate genome-wide diversity and the distribution of runs of homozygosity (ROH) using whole-genome resequencing of individuals (>22× coverage) from six populations across three archipelagos of Berthelot's pipit (Anthus berthelotii)-a passerine that has recently undergone island speciation. We show the most dramatic reduction in diversity occurs between the mainland sister species (the tawny pipit) and Berthelot's pipit and is lowest in the populations that have experienced sequential bottlenecks (i.e., the Madeiran and Selvagens populations). Pairwise sequential Markovian coalescent (PSMC) analyses estimated that Berthelot's pipit diverged from its sister species ~2 million years ago, with the Madeiran archipelago founded 50,000 years ago, and the Selvagens colonized 8000 years ago. We identify many long ROH (>1 Mb) in these most recently colonized populations. Population expansion within the last 100 years may have eroded long ROH in the Madeiran archipelago, resulting in a prevalence of short ROH (<1 Mb). However, the extensive long and short ROH detected in the Selvagens suggest strong recent inbreeding and bottleneck effects, with as much as 38% of the autosomes consisting of ROH >250 kb. These findings highlight the importance of demographic history, as well as selection and genetic drift, in shaping contemporary patterns of genomic diversity across diverging populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia A Martin
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norfolk, UK.,Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Biology Department, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Juan Carlos Illera
- Biodiversity Research Institute (CSIC-Oviedo University-Principality of Asturias), University of Oviedo, Mieres, Asturias, Spain
| | - Alexander Suh
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norfolk, UK.,Department of Organismal Biology - Systematic Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre (EBC), Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Lewis G Spurgin
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norfolk, UK
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19
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Duntsch L, Whibley A, de Villemereuil P, Brekke P, Bailey S, Ewen JG, Santure AW. Genomic signatures of inbreeding depression for a threatened Aotearoa New Zealand passerine. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:1893-1907. [PMID: 36655901 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 11/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
For small and isolated populations, the increased chance of mating between related individuals can result in a substantial reduction in individual and population fitness. Despite the increasing availability of genomic data to measure inbreeding accurately across the genome, inbreeding depression studies for threatened species are still scarce due to the difficulty of measuring fitness in the wild. Here, we investigate inbreeding and inbreeding depression for the extensively monitored Tiritiri Mātangi island population of a threatened Aotearoa New Zealand passerine, the hihi (Notiomystis cincta). First, using a custom 45 k single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array, we explore genomic inbreeding patterns by inferring homozygous segments across the genome. Although all individuals have similar levels of ancient inbreeding, highly inbred individuals are affected by recent inbreeding, which can probably be explained by bottleneck effects such as habitat loss after European arrival and their translocation to the island in the 1990s. Second, we investigate genomic inbreeding effects on fitness, measured as lifetime reproductive success, and its three components, juvenile survival, adult annual survival and annual reproductive success, in 363 hihi. We find that global inbreeding significantly affects juvenile survival but none of the remaining fitness traits. Finally, we employ a genome-wide association approach to test the locus-specific effects of inbreeding on fitness, and identify 13 SNPs significantly associated with lifetime reproductive success. Our findings suggest that inbreeding depression does impact hihi, but at different genomic scales for different traits, and that purging has therefore failed to remove all variants with deleterious effects from this population of conservation concern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Duntsch
- Centre for Biodiversity and Biosecurity (CBB), School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Annabel Whibley
- Centre for Biodiversity and Biosecurity (CBB), School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Pierre de Villemereuil
- Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), École Pratique des Hautes Études, PSL, MNHN, CNRS, SU, UA, Paris, France
| | - Patricia Brekke
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, UK
| | - Sarah Bailey
- Centre for Biodiversity and Biosecurity (CBB), School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - John G Ewen
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, UK
| | - Anna W Santure
- Centre for Biodiversity and Biosecurity (CBB), School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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20
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Lavanchy E, Goudet J. Effect of reduced genomic representation on using runs of homozygosity for inbreeding characterization. Mol Ecol Resour 2023; 23:787-802. [PMID: 36626297 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Genomic measures of inbreeding based on identical-by-descent (IBD) segments are increasingly used to measure inbreeding and mostly estimated on SNP arrays and whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data. However, some softwares recurrently used for their estimation assume that genomic positions which have not been genotyped are nonvariant. This might be true for WGS data, but not for reduced genomic representations and can lead to spurious IBD segments estimation. In this project, we simulated the outputs of WGS, two SNP arrays of different sizes and RAD-sequencing for three populations with different sizes and histories. We compare the results of IBD segments estimation with two softwares: runs of homozygosity (ROHs) estimated with PLINK and homozygous-by-descent (HBD) segments estimated with RZooRoH. We demonstrate that to obtain meaningful estimates of inbreeding, RZooRoH requires a SNPs density 11 times smaller compared to PLINK: ranks of inbreeding coefficients were conserved among individuals above 22 SNPs/Mb for PLINK and 2 SNPs/Mb for RZooRoH. We also show that in populations with simple demographic histories, distribution of ROHs and HBD segments are correctly estimated with both SNP arrays and WGS. PLINK correctly estimated distribution of ROHs with SNP densities above 22 SNPs/Mb, while RZooRoH correctly estimated distribution of HBD segments with SNPs densities above 11 SNPs/Mb. However, in a population with a more complex demographic history, RZooRoH resulted in better distribution of IBD segments estimation compared to PLINK even with WGS data. Consequently, we advise researchers to use either methods relying on excess homozygosity averaged across SNPs or model-based HBD segments calling methods for inbreeding estimations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eléonore Lavanchy
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jérôme Goudet
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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21
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Hogg CJ, Belov K. Reply to DeWoody et al.: Inequitable access to affordable sequencing limits the benefits from population genomic insights. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2211129119. [PMID: 36161930 PMCID: PMC9546551 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2211129119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn J. Hogg
- School of Life & Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Katherine Belov
- School of Life & Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
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22
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The Threatened Species Imperative: Conservation assessments would benefit from population genomic insights. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2210685119. [PMID: 35969797 PMCID: PMC9436345 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2210685119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
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23
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Rieseberg L, Warschefsky E, O'Boyle B, Taberlet P, Ortiz-Barrientos D, Kane NC, Sibbett B. Editorial 2022. Mol Ecol 2021; 31:1-30. [PMID: 34957606 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Loren Rieseberg
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | | | - Pierre Taberlet
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, CNRS UMR 5553, Université Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Cedex 9, France
| | - Daniel Ortiz-Barrientos
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queenland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Nolan C Kane
- University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
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24
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Duntsch L, Brekke P, Ewen JG, Santure AW. Who are you? A framework to identify and report genetic sample mix-ups. Mol Ecol Resour 2021; 22:1855-1867. [PMID: 34907643 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Revised: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Sample mix-ups occur when samples have accidentally been duplicated, mislabelled or swapped. When samples are subsequently genotyped or sequenced, this can lead to individual IDs being incorrectly linked to genetic data, resulting in incorrect or biased research results, or reduced power to detect true biological patterns. We surveyed the community and found that almost 80% of responding researchers have encountered sample mix-ups. However, many recent studies in the field of molecular ecology do not appear to systematically report individual assignment checks as part of their publications. Although checks may be done, lack of consistent reporting means that it is difficult to assess whether sample mix-ups have occurred or been detected. Here, we present an easy-to-follow sample verification framework that can utilise existing metadata, including species, population structure, sex and pedigree information. We demonstrate its application to a dataset representing individuals of a threatened Aotearoa New Zealand bird species, the hihi, genotyped on a 50K SNP array. We detected numerous incorrect genotype-ID associations when comparing observed and genetic sex or comparing to relationships in a verified microsatellite pedigree. The framework proposed here helped to confirm 488 individuals (39%), correct another 20 bird-genotype links, and detect hundreds of incorrect sample IDs, emphasizing the value of routinely checking genetic and genomic datasets for their accuracy. We therefore promote the implementation and reporting of this simple yet effective sample verification framework as a standardized quality control step for studies in the field of molecular ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Duntsch
- Centre for Biodiversity and Biosecurity, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Patricia Brekke
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regents Park, London, UK
| | - John G Ewen
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regents Park, London, UK
| | - Anna W Santure
- Centre for Biodiversity and Biosecurity, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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25
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Taylor RS, Jensen EL, Coltman DW, Foote AD, Lamichhaney S. Seeing the whole picture: What molecular ecology is gaining from whole genomes. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:5917-5922. [PMID: 34845797 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Revised: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca S Taylor
- Biology Department, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
| | - Evelyn L Jensen
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| | - David W Coltman
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.,Biology Department, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andrew D Foote
- Department of Natural History, NTNU University Museum, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
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26
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Foster Y, Dutoit L, Grosser S, Dussex N, Foster BJ, Dodds KG, Brauning R, Van Stijn T, Robertson F, McEwan JC, Jacobs JME, Robertson BC. Genomic signatures of inbreeding in a critically endangered parrot, the kākāpō. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2021; 11:jkab307. [PMID: 34542587 PMCID: PMC8527487 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkab307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Events of inbreeding are inevitable in critically endangered species. Reduced population sizes and unique life-history traits can increase the severity of inbreeding, leading to declines in fitness and increased risk of extinction. Here, we investigate levels of inbreeding in a critically endangered flightless parrot, the kākāpō (Strigops habroptilus), wherein a highly inbred island population and one individual from the mainland of New Zealand founded the entire extant population. Genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS), and a genotype calling approach using a chromosome-level genome assembly, identified a filtered set of 12,241 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) among 161 kākāpō, which together encompass the total genetic potential of the extant population. Multiple molecular-based estimates of inbreeding were compared, including genome-wide estimates of heterozygosity (FH), the diagonal elements of a genomic-relatedness matrix (FGRM), and runs of homozygosity (RoH, FRoH). In addition, we compared levels of inbreeding in chicks from a recent breeding season to examine if inbreeding is associated with offspring survival. The density of SNPs generated with GBS was sufficient to identify chromosomes that were largely homozygous with RoH distributed in similar patterns to other inbred species. Measures of inbreeding were largely correlated and differed significantly between descendants of the two founding populations. However, neither inbreeding nor ancestry was found to be associated with reduced survivorship in chicks, owing to unexpected mortality in chicks exhibiting low levels of inbreeding. Our study highlights important considerations for estimating inbreeding in critically endangered species, such as the impacts of small population sizes and admixture between diverse lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasmin Foster
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Ludovic Dutoit
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Stefanie Grosser
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Nicolas Dussex
- Centre for Palaeogenetics, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, SE-104 05 Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Brodie J Foster
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Ken G Dodds
- AgResearch Invermay Agricultural Centre, Mosgiel 9053, New Zealand
| | - Rudiger Brauning
- AgResearch Invermay Agricultural Centre, Mosgiel 9053, New Zealand
| | - Tracey Van Stijn
- AgResearch Invermay Agricultural Centre, Mosgiel 9053, New Zealand
| | - Fiona Robertson
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - John C McEwan
- AgResearch Invermay Agricultural Centre, Mosgiel 9053, New Zealand
| | | | - Bruce C Robertson
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
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