TY - JOUR

T1 - Biogeography in the deep

T2 - Hierarchical population genomic structure of two beaked whale species

AU - Onoufriou, Aubrie B.

AU - Gaggiotti, Oscar E.

AU - Aguilar de Soto, Natacha

AU - McCarthy, Morgan L.

AU - Morin, Phillip A.

AU - Rosso, Massimiliano

AU - Dalebout, Merel

AU - Davison, Nicholas

AU - Baird, Robin W.

AU - Baker, C. Scott

AU - Berrow, Simon

AU - Brownlow, Andrew

AU - Burns, Daniel

AU - Caurant, Florence

AU - Claridge, Diane

AU - Constantine, Rochelle

AU - Demaret, Fabien

AU - Dreyer, Sascha

AU - Ðuras, Martina

AU - Durban, John W.

AU - Frantzis, Alexandros

AU - Freitas, Luis

AU - Genty, Gabrielle

AU - Galov, Ana

AU - Hansen, Sabine S.

AU - Kitchener, Andrew C.

AU - Martin, Vidal

AU - Mignucci-Giannoni, Antonio A.

AU - Montano, Valeria

AU - Moulins, Aurelie

AU - Olavarría, Carlos

AU - Poole, M. Michael

AU - Reyes Suárez, Cristel

AU - Rogan, Emer

AU - Ryan, Conor

AU - Schiavi, Agustina

AU - Tepsich, Paola

AU - Urban R., Jorge

AU - West, Kristi

AU - Olsen, Morten Tange

AU - Carroll, Emma L.

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The Authors

PY - 2022

Y1 - 2022

N2 - The deep sea is the largest ecosystem on Earth, yet little is known about the processes driving patterns of genetic diversity in its inhabitants. Here, we investigated the macro- and microevolutionary processes shaping genomic population structure and diversity in two poorly understood, globally distributed, deep-sea predators: Cuvier's beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris) and Blainville's beaked whale (Mesoplodon densirostris). We used double-digest restriction associated DNA (ddRAD) and whole mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) sequencing to characterise genetic patterns using phylogenetic trees, cluster analysis, isolation-by-distance, genetic diversity and differentiation statistics. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; Blainville's n = 43 samples, SNPs=13988; Cuvier's n = 123, SNPs= 30479) and mitogenomes (Blainville's n = 27; Cuvier's n = 35) revealed substantial hierarchical structure at a global scale. Both species display significant genetic structure between the Atlantic, Indo-Pacific and in Cuvier's, the Mediterranean Sea. Within major ocean basins, clear differentiation is found between genetic clusters on the east and west sides of the North Atlantic, and some distinct patterns of structure in the Indo-Pacific and Southern Hemisphere. We infer that macroevolutionary processes shaping patterns of genetic diversity include biogeographical barriers, highlighting the importance of such barriers even to highly mobile, deep-diving taxa. The barriers likely differ between the species due to their thermal tolerances and evolutionary histories. On a microevolutionary scale, it seems likely that the balance between resident populations displaying site fidelity, and transient individuals facilitating gene flow, shapes patterns of connectivity and genetic drift in beaked whales. Based on these results, we propose management units to facilitate improved conservation measures for these elusive species.

AB - The deep sea is the largest ecosystem on Earth, yet little is known about the processes driving patterns of genetic diversity in its inhabitants. Here, we investigated the macro- and microevolutionary processes shaping genomic population structure and diversity in two poorly understood, globally distributed, deep-sea predators: Cuvier's beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris) and Blainville's beaked whale (Mesoplodon densirostris). We used double-digest restriction associated DNA (ddRAD) and whole mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) sequencing to characterise genetic patterns using phylogenetic trees, cluster analysis, isolation-by-distance, genetic diversity and differentiation statistics. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; Blainville's n = 43 samples, SNPs=13988; Cuvier's n = 123, SNPs= 30479) and mitogenomes (Blainville's n = 27; Cuvier's n = 35) revealed substantial hierarchical structure at a global scale. Both species display significant genetic structure between the Atlantic, Indo-Pacific and in Cuvier's, the Mediterranean Sea. Within major ocean basins, clear differentiation is found between genetic clusters on the east and west sides of the North Atlantic, and some distinct patterns of structure in the Indo-Pacific and Southern Hemisphere. We infer that macroevolutionary processes shaping patterns of genetic diversity include biogeographical barriers, highlighting the importance of such barriers even to highly mobile, deep-diving taxa. The barriers likely differ between the species due to their thermal tolerances and evolutionary histories. On a microevolutionary scale, it seems likely that the balance between resident populations displaying site fidelity, and transient individuals facilitating gene flow, shapes patterns of connectivity and genetic drift in beaked whales. Based on these results, we propose management units to facilitate improved conservation measures for these elusive species.

KW - DdRAD sequencing

KW - Mesoplodon densirostris

KW - Mitogenome sequencing

KW - Phylogenomics

KW - Ziphiidae

KW - Ziphius cavirostris

U2 - 10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02308

DO - 10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02308

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85142911409

VL - 40

JO - Global Ecology and Conservation

JF - Global Ecology and Conservation

SN - 2351-9894

M1 - e02308

ER -