Postcopulatory selection for dissimilar gametes maintains heterozygosity in the endangered North Atlantic right whale
Publisher's Version/PDF Although small populations are expected to lose genetic diversity through genetic drift and inbreeding, a number of mechanisms exist that could minimize this genetic decline. Examples include mate choice for unrelated mates and fertilization patterns biased toward geneti...
Main Authors: | , , , , , |
---|---|
Format: | Text |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Wiley-Blackwell
2013
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://library2.smu.ca/handle/01/27351 |
id |
ftstmarysunivca:oai:library2:01/27351 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftstmarysunivca:oai:library2:01/27351 2023-05-15T17:30:24+02:00 Postcopulatory selection for dissimilar gametes maintains heterozygosity in the endangered North Atlantic right whale Frasier, Timothy, 1976- Gillett, R. M. Hamilton, P. K. Brown, M. W. Kraus, S. D. White, B. N. 2013-09 application/pdf http://library2.smu.ca/handle/01/27351 en eng Wiley-Blackwell 2045-7758 http://library2.smu.ca/handle/01/27351 Right whales-- Genetics Right whales -- Variation Right whales -- Reproduction Text 2013 ftstmarysunivca 2022-05-13T05:48:25Z Publisher's Version/PDF Although small populations are expected to lose genetic diversity through genetic drift and inbreeding, a number of mechanisms exist that could minimize this genetic decline. Examples include mate choice for unrelated mates and fertilization patterns biased toward genetically dissimilar gametes. Both processes have been widely documented, but the long-term implications have received little attention. Here, we combined over 25 years of field data with high-resolution genetic data to assess the long-term impacts of biased fertilization patterns in the endangered North Atlantic right whale. Offspring have higher levels of microsatellite heterozygosity than expected from this gene pool (effect size = 0.326, P < 0.011). This pattern is not due to precopulatory mate choice for genetically dissimilar mates (P < 0.600), but instead results from postcopulatory selection for gametes that are genetically dissimilar (effect size = 0.37, P < 0.003). The long-term implication is that heterozygosity has slowly increased in calves born throughout the study period, as opposed to the slight decline that was expected. Therefore, this mechanism represents a natural means through which small populations can mitigate the loss of genetic diversity over time. Text North Atlantic North Atlantic right whale Saint Mary's University, Halifax: Institutional Repository |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Saint Mary's University, Halifax: Institutional Repository |
op_collection_id |
ftstmarysunivca |
language |
English |
topic |
Right whales-- Genetics Right whales -- Variation Right whales -- Reproduction |
spellingShingle |
Right whales-- Genetics Right whales -- Variation Right whales -- Reproduction Frasier, Timothy, 1976- Gillett, R. M. Hamilton, P. K. Brown, M. W. Kraus, S. D. White, B. N. Postcopulatory selection for dissimilar gametes maintains heterozygosity in the endangered North Atlantic right whale |
topic_facet |
Right whales-- Genetics Right whales -- Variation Right whales -- Reproduction |
description |
Publisher's Version/PDF Although small populations are expected to lose genetic diversity through genetic drift and inbreeding, a number of mechanisms exist that could minimize this genetic decline. Examples include mate choice for unrelated mates and fertilization patterns biased toward genetically dissimilar gametes. Both processes have been widely documented, but the long-term implications have received little attention. Here, we combined over 25 years of field data with high-resolution genetic data to assess the long-term impacts of biased fertilization patterns in the endangered North Atlantic right whale. Offspring have higher levels of microsatellite heterozygosity than expected from this gene pool (effect size = 0.326, P < 0.011). This pattern is not due to precopulatory mate choice for genetically dissimilar mates (P < 0.600), but instead results from postcopulatory selection for gametes that are genetically dissimilar (effect size = 0.37, P < 0.003). The long-term implication is that heterozygosity has slowly increased in calves born throughout the study period, as opposed to the slight decline that was expected. Therefore, this mechanism represents a natural means through which small populations can mitigate the loss of genetic diversity over time. |
format |
Text |
author |
Frasier, Timothy, 1976- Gillett, R. M. Hamilton, P. K. Brown, M. W. Kraus, S. D. White, B. N. |
author_facet |
Frasier, Timothy, 1976- Gillett, R. M. Hamilton, P. K. Brown, M. W. Kraus, S. D. White, B. N. |
author_sort |
Frasier, Timothy, 1976- |
title |
Postcopulatory selection for dissimilar gametes maintains heterozygosity in the endangered North Atlantic right whale |
title_short |
Postcopulatory selection for dissimilar gametes maintains heterozygosity in the endangered North Atlantic right whale |
title_full |
Postcopulatory selection for dissimilar gametes maintains heterozygosity in the endangered North Atlantic right whale |
title_fullStr |
Postcopulatory selection for dissimilar gametes maintains heterozygosity in the endangered North Atlantic right whale |
title_full_unstemmed |
Postcopulatory selection for dissimilar gametes maintains heterozygosity in the endangered North Atlantic right whale |
title_sort |
postcopulatory selection for dissimilar gametes maintains heterozygosity in the endangered north atlantic right whale |
publisher |
Wiley-Blackwell |
publishDate |
2013 |
url |
http://library2.smu.ca/handle/01/27351 |
genre |
North Atlantic North Atlantic right whale |
genre_facet |
North Atlantic North Atlantic right whale |
op_relation |
2045-7758 http://library2.smu.ca/handle/01/27351 |
_version_ |
1766126774743203840 |