A population on the edge: genetic diversity and population structure of the world's northernmost harbour seals ( Phoca vitulina )
It is crucial to examine the genetic diversity and structure of small, isolated populations, especially those at the edge of their distribution range, because they are vulnerable to stochastic processes if genetic diversity is low and isolation level high, and because such populations provide insigh...
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ftuniaarhuspubl:oai:pure.atira.dk:publications/96a645f0-bf37-11df-8cb9-000ea68e967b 2024-02-11T10:04:25+01:00 A population on the edge: genetic diversity and population structure of the world's northernmost harbour seals ( Phoca vitulina ) Andersen, Liselotte Wesley Lydersen, Christian Frie, Anne Kirstine Rosing-Asvid, Aqqalu Hauksson, Erlinggur Kovacs, Kit M. 2011 https://pure.au.dk/portal/en/publications/96a645f0-bf37-11df-8cb9-000ea68e967b https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8312.2010.01577.x eng eng https://pure.au.dk/portal/en/publications/96a645f0-bf37-11df-8cb9-000ea68e967b info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess Andersen , L W , Lydersen , C , Frie , A K , Rosing-Asvid , A , Hauksson , E & Kovacs , K M 2011 , ' A population on the edge: genetic diversity and population structure of the world's northernmost harbour seals ( Phoca vitulina ) ' , Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , vol. 102 , no. 2 , pp. 420-439 . https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8312.2010.01577.x article 2011 ftuniaarhuspubl https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8312.2010.01577.x 2024-01-24T23:58:43Z It is crucial to examine the genetic diversity and structure of small, isolated populations, especially those at the edge of their distribution range, because they are vulnerable to stochastic processes if genetic diversity is low and isolation level high, and because such populations provide insight into consequences of population declines in a broader conservation context. The harbour seal population at Svalbard is the world's northernmost harbour seal population. Nothing is known about the genetic diversity, distinctiveness or origin of this small, marginalized mammalian population. Thus, the present study investigated its genetic status in the context of nearby harbour seals in Iceland, Southeast Greenland and Northern Norway; this species is depleted/threatened in all of these regions. A total of 174 samples distributed between the four locations were analysed using 15 polymorphic microsatellites and variation in the D-loop. Each of the four locations was a genetically distinct population. The Svalbard population was highly genetically distinct, had reduced genetic diversity, received limited gene flow, had a rather low effective population size and showed an indication of having experienced a bottleneck resulting from a recent population decline. The significant heterozygote excess observed in the Svalbard sample might be attributed to the low effective population size, which could initiate future population inbreeding effects. This phenomenon has not been reported earlier from other harbour seal populations, but if it the Svalbard population is experiencing inbreeding, this could reduce its resilience to climate change, disease outbreaks or other perturbations. Udgivelsesdato: 2010 Article in Journal/Newspaper Greenland harbour seal Iceland Northern Norway Phoca vitulina Svalbard Aarhus University: Research Greenland Norway Svalbard Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 102 2 420 439 |
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Open Polar |
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Aarhus University: Research |
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ftuniaarhuspubl |
language |
English |
description |
It is crucial to examine the genetic diversity and structure of small, isolated populations, especially those at the edge of their distribution range, because they are vulnerable to stochastic processes if genetic diversity is low and isolation level high, and because such populations provide insight into consequences of population declines in a broader conservation context. The harbour seal population at Svalbard is the world's northernmost harbour seal population. Nothing is known about the genetic diversity, distinctiveness or origin of this small, marginalized mammalian population. Thus, the present study investigated its genetic status in the context of nearby harbour seals in Iceland, Southeast Greenland and Northern Norway; this species is depleted/threatened in all of these regions. A total of 174 samples distributed between the four locations were analysed using 15 polymorphic microsatellites and variation in the D-loop. Each of the four locations was a genetically distinct population. The Svalbard population was highly genetically distinct, had reduced genetic diversity, received limited gene flow, had a rather low effective population size and showed an indication of having experienced a bottleneck resulting from a recent population decline. The significant heterozygote excess observed in the Svalbard sample might be attributed to the low effective population size, which could initiate future population inbreeding effects. This phenomenon has not been reported earlier from other harbour seal populations, but if it the Svalbard population is experiencing inbreeding, this could reduce its resilience to climate change, disease outbreaks or other perturbations. Udgivelsesdato: 2010 |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Andersen, Liselotte Wesley Lydersen, Christian Frie, Anne Kirstine Rosing-Asvid, Aqqalu Hauksson, Erlinggur Kovacs, Kit M. |
spellingShingle |
Andersen, Liselotte Wesley Lydersen, Christian Frie, Anne Kirstine Rosing-Asvid, Aqqalu Hauksson, Erlinggur Kovacs, Kit M. A population on the edge: genetic diversity and population structure of the world's northernmost harbour seals ( Phoca vitulina ) |
author_facet |
Andersen, Liselotte Wesley Lydersen, Christian Frie, Anne Kirstine Rosing-Asvid, Aqqalu Hauksson, Erlinggur Kovacs, Kit M. |
author_sort |
Andersen, Liselotte Wesley |
title |
A population on the edge: genetic diversity and population structure of the world's northernmost harbour seals ( Phoca vitulina ) |
title_short |
A population on the edge: genetic diversity and population structure of the world's northernmost harbour seals ( Phoca vitulina ) |
title_full |
A population on the edge: genetic diversity and population structure of the world's northernmost harbour seals ( Phoca vitulina ) |
title_fullStr |
A population on the edge: genetic diversity and population structure of the world's northernmost harbour seals ( Phoca vitulina ) |
title_full_unstemmed |
A population on the edge: genetic diversity and population structure of the world's northernmost harbour seals ( Phoca vitulina ) |
title_sort |
population on the edge: genetic diversity and population structure of the world's northernmost harbour seals ( phoca vitulina ) |
publishDate |
2011 |
url |
https://pure.au.dk/portal/en/publications/96a645f0-bf37-11df-8cb9-000ea68e967b https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8312.2010.01577.x |
geographic |
Greenland Norway Svalbard |
geographic_facet |
Greenland Norway Svalbard |
genre |
Greenland harbour seal Iceland Northern Norway Phoca vitulina Svalbard |
genre_facet |
Greenland harbour seal Iceland Northern Norway Phoca vitulina Svalbard |
op_source |
Andersen , L W , Lydersen , C , Frie , A K , Rosing-Asvid , A , Hauksson , E & Kovacs , K M 2011 , ' A population on the edge: genetic diversity and population structure of the world's northernmost harbour seals ( Phoca vitulina ) ' , Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , vol. 102 , no. 2 , pp. 420-439 . https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8312.2010.01577.x |
op_relation |
https://pure.au.dk/portal/en/publications/96a645f0-bf37-11df-8cb9-000ea68e967b |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8312.2010.01577.x |
container_title |
Biological Journal of the Linnean Society |
container_volume |
102 |
container_issue |
2 |
container_start_page |
420 |
op_container_end_page |
439 |
_version_ |
1790601013978202112 |