Low genetic diversity in pygmy blue whales is due to climate-induced diversification rather than anthropogenic impacts
Unusually low genetic diversity can be a warning of an urgent need to mitigate causative anthropogenic activities. However, current low levels of genetic diversity in a population could also be due to natural historical events, including recent evolutionary divergence, or long-term persistence at a...
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ftpubmed:oai:pubmedcentral.nih.gov:4455730 2023-05-15T13:38:07+02:00 Low genetic diversity in pygmy blue whales is due to climate-induced diversification rather than anthropogenic impacts Attard, Catherine R. M. Beheregaray, Luciano B. Jenner, K. Curt S. Gill, Peter C. Jenner, Micheline-Nicole M. Morrice, Margaret G. Teske, Peter R. Möller, Luciana M. 2015-05 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4455730/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25948571 https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2014.1037 en eng The Royal Society http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4455730/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25948571 http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2014.1037 © 2015 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved. Population Genetics Text 2015 ftpubmed https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2014.1037 2016-05-08T00:10:56Z Unusually low genetic diversity can be a warning of an urgent need to mitigate causative anthropogenic activities. However, current low levels of genetic diversity in a population could also be due to natural historical events, including recent evolutionary divergence, or long-term persistence at a small population size. Here, we determine whether the relatively low genetic diversity of pygmy blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda) in Australia is due to natural causes or overexploitation. We apply recently developed analytical approaches in the largest genetic dataset ever compiled to study blue whales (297 samples collected after whaling and representing lineages from Australia, Antarctica and Chile). We find that low levels of genetic diversity in Australia are due to a natural founder event from Antarctic blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus intermedia) that occurred around the Last Glacial Maximum, followed by evolutionary divergence. Historical climate change has therefore driven the evolution of blue whales into genetically, phenotypically and behaviourally distinct lineages that will likely be influenced by future climate change. Text Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Balaenoptera musculus PubMed Central (PMC) Antarctic Biology Letters 11 5 20141037 |
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ftpubmed |
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English |
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Population Genetics |
spellingShingle |
Population Genetics Attard, Catherine R. M. Beheregaray, Luciano B. Jenner, K. Curt S. Gill, Peter C. Jenner, Micheline-Nicole M. Morrice, Margaret G. Teske, Peter R. Möller, Luciana M. Low genetic diversity in pygmy blue whales is due to climate-induced diversification rather than anthropogenic impacts |
topic_facet |
Population Genetics |
description |
Unusually low genetic diversity can be a warning of an urgent need to mitigate causative anthropogenic activities. However, current low levels of genetic diversity in a population could also be due to natural historical events, including recent evolutionary divergence, or long-term persistence at a small population size. Here, we determine whether the relatively low genetic diversity of pygmy blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda) in Australia is due to natural causes or overexploitation. We apply recently developed analytical approaches in the largest genetic dataset ever compiled to study blue whales (297 samples collected after whaling and representing lineages from Australia, Antarctica and Chile). We find that low levels of genetic diversity in Australia are due to a natural founder event from Antarctic blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus intermedia) that occurred around the Last Glacial Maximum, followed by evolutionary divergence. Historical climate change has therefore driven the evolution of blue whales into genetically, phenotypically and behaviourally distinct lineages that will likely be influenced by future climate change. |
format |
Text |
author |
Attard, Catherine R. M. Beheregaray, Luciano B. Jenner, K. Curt S. Gill, Peter C. Jenner, Micheline-Nicole M. Morrice, Margaret G. Teske, Peter R. Möller, Luciana M. |
author_facet |
Attard, Catherine R. M. Beheregaray, Luciano B. Jenner, K. Curt S. Gill, Peter C. Jenner, Micheline-Nicole M. Morrice, Margaret G. Teske, Peter R. Möller, Luciana M. |
author_sort |
Attard, Catherine R. M. |
title |
Low genetic diversity in pygmy blue whales is due to climate-induced diversification rather than anthropogenic impacts |
title_short |
Low genetic diversity in pygmy blue whales is due to climate-induced diversification rather than anthropogenic impacts |
title_full |
Low genetic diversity in pygmy blue whales is due to climate-induced diversification rather than anthropogenic impacts |
title_fullStr |
Low genetic diversity in pygmy blue whales is due to climate-induced diversification rather than anthropogenic impacts |
title_full_unstemmed |
Low genetic diversity in pygmy blue whales is due to climate-induced diversification rather than anthropogenic impacts |
title_sort |
low genetic diversity in pygmy blue whales is due to climate-induced diversification rather than anthropogenic impacts |
publisher |
The Royal Society |
publishDate |
2015 |
url |
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4455730/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25948571 https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2014.1037 |
geographic |
Antarctic |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Balaenoptera musculus |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Balaenoptera musculus |
op_relation |
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4455730/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25948571 http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2014.1037 |
op_rights |
© 2015 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved. |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2014.1037 |
container_title |
Biology Letters |
container_volume |
11 |
container_issue |
5 |
container_start_page |
20141037 |
_version_ |
1766101626763870208 |