Genetic isolation of a now extinct population of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)

International audience A number of dolphin species, though highly mobile, show genetic structure among parapatric and sometimes sympatric populations. However, little is known about the temporal patterns of population structure for these species. Here, we apply Bayesian inference and data from ancie...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
Main Authors: Nichols, C., Herman, J., Gaggiotti, O. E., Dobney, K. M., Parsons, K., Hoelzel, A. R.
Other Authors: School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Durham University, Department of Natural Sciences, National Museums of Scotland, Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine (LECA), Université Joseph Fourier - Grenoble 1 (UJF)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB Université de Savoie Université de Chambéry ), Department of Archaeology, Lighthouse Field Station, University of Aberdeen
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: HAL CCSD 2007
Subjects:
ancient DNA
marine mammal
population genetics
metapopulation
Gulf-of-mexico
microsatellite loci
mitochondrial
conservation
cetaceans
[SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology
[SDV.BID]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biodiversity
[SDV.EE]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology
environment
North Atlantic
Online Access:https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/halsde-00283752
https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2007.0176
Description
Summary:International audience A number of dolphin species, though highly mobile, show genetic structure among parapatric and sometimes sympatric populations. However, little is known about the temporal patterns of population structure for these species. Here, we apply Bayesian inference and data from ancient DNA to assess the structure and dynamics of bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) populations in the coastal waters of the UK. We show that regional population structure in UK waters is consistent with earlier studies suggesting local habitat dependence for this species in the Mediterranean Sea and North Atlantic. One genetically differentiated UK population went extinct at least 100 years ago and has not been replaced. The data indicate that this was a local extinction, and not a case of historical range shift or contraction. One possible interpretation is a declining metapopulation and conservation need for this species in the UK.

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