Fragmented habitat compensates for the adverse effects of genetic bottleneck
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Fragmented habitat compensates for the adverse effects of genetic bottleneck. / Löytynoja, Ari; Rastas, Pasi; Valtonen, Mia; Kammonen, Juhana; Holm, Liisa; Olsen, Morten Tange; Paulin, Lars; Jernvall, Jukka; Auvinen, Petri.
In: Current Biology, Vol. 33, No. 6, 2023, p. 1009-1018.e7.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Fragmented habitat compensates for the adverse effects of genetic bottleneck
AU - Löytynoja, Ari
AU - Rastas, Pasi
AU - Valtonen, Mia
AU - Kammonen, Juhana
AU - Holm, Liisa
AU - Olsen, Morten Tange
AU - Paulin, Lars
AU - Jernvall, Jukka
AU - Auvinen, Petri
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Authors
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - In the face of the human-caused biodiversity crisis, understanding the theoretical basis of conservation efforts of endangered species and populations has become increasingly important. According to population genetics theory, population subdivision helps organisms retain genetic diversity, crucial for adaptation in a changing environment. Habitat topography is thought to be important for generating and maintaining population subdivision, but empirical cases are needed to test this assumption. We studied Saimaa ringed seals, landlocked in a labyrinthine lake and recovering from a drastic bottleneck, with additional samples from three other ringed seal subspecies. Using whole-genome sequences of 145 seals, we analyzed the distribution of variation and genetic relatedness among the individuals in relation to the habitat shape. Despite a severe history of genetic bottlenecks with prevalent homozygosity in Saimaa ringed seals, we found evidence for the population structure mirroring the subregions of the lake. Our genome-wide analyses showed that the subpopulations had retained unique variation and largely complementary patterns of homozygosity, highlighting the significance of habitat connectivity in conservation biology and the power of genomic tools in understanding its impact. The central role of the population substructure in preserving genetic diversity at the metapopulation level was confirmed by simulations. Integration of genetic analyses in conservation decisions gives hope to Saimaa ringed seals and other endangered species in fragmented habitats.
AB - In the face of the human-caused biodiversity crisis, understanding the theoretical basis of conservation efforts of endangered species and populations has become increasingly important. According to population genetics theory, population subdivision helps organisms retain genetic diversity, crucial for adaptation in a changing environment. Habitat topography is thought to be important for generating and maintaining population subdivision, but empirical cases are needed to test this assumption. We studied Saimaa ringed seals, landlocked in a labyrinthine lake and recovering from a drastic bottleneck, with additional samples from three other ringed seal subspecies. Using whole-genome sequences of 145 seals, we analyzed the distribution of variation and genetic relatedness among the individuals in relation to the habitat shape. Despite a severe history of genetic bottlenecks with prevalent homozygosity in Saimaa ringed seals, we found evidence for the population structure mirroring the subregions of the lake. Our genome-wide analyses showed that the subpopulations had retained unique variation and largely complementary patterns of homozygosity, highlighting the significance of habitat connectivity in conservation biology and the power of genomic tools in understanding its impact. The central role of the population substructure in preserving genetic diversity at the metapopulation level was confirmed by simulations. Integration of genetic analyses in conservation decisions gives hope to Saimaa ringed seals and other endangered species in fragmented habitats.
KW - genetic bottleneck
KW - genetic variation
KW - habitat fragmentation
KW - mammals
KW - metapopulation
KW - pinniped
KW - runs of homozygosity
U2 - 10.1016/j.cub.2023.01.040
DO - 10.1016/j.cub.2023.01.040
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 36822202
AN - SCOPUS:85150268738
VL - 33
SP - 1009-1018.e7
JO - Current Biology
JF - Current Biology
SN - 0960-9822
IS - 6
ER -
ID: 340690559