Postglacial climate changes and rise of three ecotypes of harbour porpoises, <i><scp>P</scp>hocoena phocoena</i>, in western <scp>P</scp>alearctic waters

Fontaine, Michaël C.; Roland, Kathleen; Calvès, Isabelle; Austerlitz, Frédéric; Palstra, Friso; Tolley, Krystal A.; Ryan, Sean F.; Ferreira, Marisa; Jauniaux, Thierry; Llavona, Á.; Öztürk, Bayram; Öztürk, Ayaka Amaha; Ridoux, Vincent; Rogan, Emer; Sequeira, Marina; Siebert, Ursula; Víkingsson, Gísli A.; Borrell, Asunción; Michaux, Johan; Aguilar, Àlex

doi:10.1111/mec.12817

Cited by 70 publications

(233 citation statements)

References 72 publications

(100 reference statements)

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“…Interestingly, these conditions were also probably suitable for harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena), a small cetacean with high energetic needs. The end of the Sapropel period likely led to the fragmentation of harbour porpoise populations as waters became too oligotrophic and warm for this cold-water affiliated species [48,49]. By contrast, bottlenose dolphins, having a wider range and lower energetic costs [50] are still currently observed in the Mediterranean Sea.…”

Section: Discussion (A) Ecologically Driven Demographic History Of Bomentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecological opportunities and specializations shaped genetic divergence in a highly mobile marine top predator

et al. 2014

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Environmental conditions can shape genetic and morphological divergence. Release of new habitats during historical environmental changes was a major driver of evolutionary diversification. Here, forces shaping population structure and ecotype differentiation ('pelagic' and 'coastal') of bottlenose dolphins in the North-east Atlantic were investigated using complementary evolutionary and ecological approaches. Inference of population demographic history using approximate Bayesian computation indicated that coastal populations were likely founded by the Atlantic pelagic population after the Last Glacial Maxima probably as a result of newly available coastal ecological niches. Pelagic dolphins from the Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea likely diverged during a period of high productivity in the Mediterranean Sea. Genetic differentiation between coastal and pelagic ecotypes may be maintained by niche specializations, as indicated by stable isotope and stomach content analyses, and social behaviour. The two ecotypes were only weakly morphologically segregated in contrast to other parts of the World Ocean. This may be linked to weak contrasts between coastal and pelagic habitats and/or a relatively recent divergence. We suggest that ecological opportunity to specialize is a major driver of genetic and morphological divergence. Combining genetic, ecological and morphological approaches is essential to understanding the population structure of mobile and cryptic species.

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Section: Discussion (A) Ecologically Driven Demographic History Of Bomentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecological opportunities and specializations shaped genetic divergence in a highly mobile marine top predator

et al. 2014

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“…Block et al, 2011). In the last decades, harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) have been studied intensely in European waters to identify population delimitations and to monitor the status of the species (e.g., Siebert et al, 2006, Evans and Teilmann, 2009, Wiemann et al, 2010Alfonsi et al, 2012;Fontaine et al, 2014). The main driver for this effort has been the fact that several thousand harbour porpoises are bycaught each year and drown in European gillnet fisheries (Tregenza et al, 1997;Vinther and Larsen, 2004;Bjørge et al, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Defining management units for cetaceans by combining genetics, morphology, acoustics and satellite tracking

Sveegaard

Galatius

Dietz

et al. 2015

Global Ecology and Conservation

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a b s t r a c tManaging animal units is essential in biological conservation and requires spatial and temporal identification of such units. Since even neighbouring populations often have different conservation status and face different levels of anthropogenic pressure, detailed knowledge of population structure, seasonal range and overlap with animals from neighbouring populations is required to manage each unit separately. Previous studies on genetic structure and morphologic separation suggests three distinct populations of harbour porpoises with limited geographic overlap in the North Sea (NS), the Belt Sea (BS) and the Baltic Proper (BP) region. In this study, we aim to identify a management unit for the BS population of harbour porpoises. We use Argos satellite data and genetics from biopsies of tagged harbour porpoises as well as acoustic data from 40 passive acoustic data loggers to determine management areas with the least overlap between populations and thus the least error when abundance and population status is estimated. Discriminant analysis of the satellite tracking data from the BS and NS populations showed that the best fit of the management unit border during the summer months was an east-west line from Denmark to Sweden at latitude 56.95°N. For the border between BS and BP, satellite tracking data indicate a sharp decline in population density at 13.5°E, with 90% of the locations being west of this line. This was supported by the acoustic data with the average daily detection rate being 27.5 times higher west of 13.5°E as compared to east of 13.5°E. By using this novel multidisciplinary approach, we defined a management unit for the BS harbour porpoise population. We recommend that these boundaries are used for future monitoring efforts of this population under the EU directives. The boundaries may also be used for conservation efforts during the summer months, while seasonal movements of harbour porpoises should be considered during winter.

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“…Further testing of hypotheses regarding the origin of ASHW using samples from BSC and BSD is required (e.g. using approximate Bayesian computation analysis; Fontaine et al 2014). Highly asymmetric gene flow from populations in East Africa to Arabia has also been observed for humpback dolphins (Mendez et al 2011) and has been attributed in part to the dominant oceanographic current systems of these coasts, which facilitate northward connectivity but not southward movement.…”

Section: Genetic Isolation Of Bsg and Ashw And Fidelity To Feeding Areasmentioning

confidence: 99%

First circumglobal assessment of Southern Hemisphere humpback whale mitochondrial genetic variation and implications for management

Rosenbaum¹,

Kershaw²,

Mendez³

et al. 2017

Endang. Species. Res.

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The description of genetic population structure over a species' geographic range can provide insights into its evolutionary history and also support effective management efforts. Assessments for globally distributed species are rare, however, requiring significant international coordination and collaboration. The global distribution of demographically discrete populations for the humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae is not fully known, hampering the definition of appropriate management units. Here, we present the first circumglobal assessment of mitochondrial genetic population structure across the species' range in the Southern Hemisphere and Arabian Sea. We combine new and existing data from the mitochondrial (mt)DNA control region that resulted in a 311 bp consensus sequence of the mtDNA control region for 3009 individuals sampled across 14 breeding stocks and subpopulations currently recognized by the International Whaling Commission. We assess genetic diversity and test for genetic differentiation and also estimate the magnitude and directionality of historic matrilineal gene flow between putative populations. Our results indicate that maternally directed site fidelity drives significant genetic population structure between breeding stocks within ocean basins. However, patterns of connectivity differ across the circumpolar range, possibly as a result of differences in the extent of longitudinal movements on feeding areas. The number of population comparisons observed to be significantly differentiated were found to diminish at the subpopulation scale when nucleotide differences were examined, indicating that more complex processes underlie genetic structure at this scale. It is crucial that these complexities and uncertainties are afforded greater consideration in management and regulatory efforts.

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Postglacial climate changes and rise of three ecotypes of harbour porpoises, Phocoena phocoena, in western Palearctic waters

Cited by 70 publications

References 72 publications

Ecological opportunities and specializations shaped genetic divergence in a highly mobile marine top predator

Ecological opportunities and specializations shaped genetic divergence in a highly mobile marine top predator

Defining management units for cetaceans by combining genetics, morphology, acoustics and satellite tracking

First circumglobal assessment of Southern Hemisphere humpback whale mitochondrial genetic variation and implications for management

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