TY - JOUR

T1 - An evolutionarily distinct ringed seal in the Ilulissat Icefjord

AU - Rosing-Asvid, Aqqalu

AU - Löytynoja, Ari

AU - Momigliano, Paolo

AU - Hansen, Rikke Guldborg

AU - Scharff-Olsen, Camilla Hjorth

AU - Valtonen, Mia

AU - Kammonen, Juhana

AU - Dietz, Rune

AU - Rigét, Frank Farsø

AU - Ferguson, Steve H.

AU - Lydersen, Christian

AU - Kovacs, Kit M.

AU - Holland, David M.

AU - Jernvall, Jukka

AU - Auvinen, Petri

AU - Olsen, Morten Tange

N1 - Publisher Copyright: Molecular Ecology© 2023 The Authors. Molecular Ecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - The Earth's polar regions are low rates of inter- and intraspecific diversification. An extreme mammalian example is the Arctic ringed seal (Pusa hispida hispida), which is assumed to be panmictic across its circumpolar Arctic range. Yet, local Inuit communities in Greenland and Canada recognize several regional variants; a finding supported by scientific studies of body size variation. It is however unclear whether this phenotypic variation reflects plasticity, morphs or distinct ecotypes. Here, we combine genomic, biologging and survey data, to document the existence of a unique ringed seal ecotype in the Ilulissat Icefjord (locally ‘Kangia’), Greenland; a UNESCO World Heritage site, which is home to the most productive marine-terminating glacier in the Arctic. Genomic analyses reveal a divergence of Kangia ringed seals from other Arctic ringed seals about 240 kya, followed by secondary contact since the Last Glacial Maximum. Despite ongoing gene flow, multiple genomic regions appear under strong selection in Kangia ringed seals, including candidate genes associated with pelage coloration, growth and osmoregulation, potentially explaining the Kangia seal's phenotypic and behavioural uniqueness. The description of ‘hidden’ diversity and adaptations in yet another Arctic species merits a reassessment of the evolutionary processes that have shaped Arctic diversity and the traditional view of this region as an evolutionary freezer. Our study highlights the value of indigenous knowledge in guiding science and calls for efforts to identify distinct populations or ecotypes to understand how these might respond differently to environmental change.

AB - The Earth's polar regions are low rates of inter- and intraspecific diversification. An extreme mammalian example is the Arctic ringed seal (Pusa hispida hispida), which is assumed to be panmictic across its circumpolar Arctic range. Yet, local Inuit communities in Greenland and Canada recognize several regional variants; a finding supported by scientific studies of body size variation. It is however unclear whether this phenotypic variation reflects plasticity, morphs or distinct ecotypes. Here, we combine genomic, biologging and survey data, to document the existence of a unique ringed seal ecotype in the Ilulissat Icefjord (locally ‘Kangia’), Greenland; a UNESCO World Heritage site, which is home to the most productive marine-terminating glacier in the Arctic. Genomic analyses reveal a divergence of Kangia ringed seals from other Arctic ringed seals about 240 kya, followed by secondary contact since the Last Glacial Maximum. Despite ongoing gene flow, multiple genomic regions appear under strong selection in Kangia ringed seals, including candidate genes associated with pelage coloration, growth and osmoregulation, potentially explaining the Kangia seal's phenotypic and behavioural uniqueness. The description of ‘hidden’ diversity and adaptations in yet another Arctic species merits a reassessment of the evolutionary processes that have shaped Arctic diversity and the traditional view of this region as an evolutionary freezer. Our study highlights the value of indigenous knowledge in guiding science and calls for efforts to identify distinct populations or ecotypes to understand how these might respond differently to environmental change.

KW - arctic

KW - diversity

KW - indigenous knowledge

KW - local adaptation

KW - marine mammal

U2 - 10.1111/mec.17163

DO - 10.1111/mec.17163

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 37855154

AN - SCOPUS:85174407322

VL - 32

SP - 5932

EP - 5943

JO - Molecular Ecology

JF - Molecular Ecology

SN - 0962-1083

IS - 22

ER -