The Muskox Lost a Substantial Part of Its Genetic Diversity on Its Long Road to Greenland

Hansen, Charles Christian Riis; Hvilsom, Christina; Schmidt, Niels Martin; Aastrup, Peter; Groot, Peter J. Van Coeverden de; Siegismund, Hans R.; Heller, Rasmus

doi:10.1016/j.cub.2018.10.054

Cited by 38 publications

(58 citation statements)

References 72 publications

(82 reference statements)

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“…On Victoria Island, the ongoing decline of muskoxen is concomitant to the apparent emergence or increased occurrence of multiple pathogens and disease syndromes [17][18][19][20]. Given the taxonomic uniqueness of muskoxen, and their limited genetic diversity [21,22], which may influence their resilience to diseases [23], it is important to understand the potential role of infectious diseases in their population dynamics and conservation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Novel insights into serodiagnosis and epidemiology of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, a newly recognized pathogen in muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus)

et al. 2020

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Background Muskoxen are a key species of Arctic ecosystems and are important for food security and socioeconomic well-being of many Indigenous communities in the Arctic and Subarctic. Between 2009 and 2014, the bacterium Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae was isolated for the first time in this species in association with multiple mortality events in Canada and Alaska, raising questions regarding the spatiotemporal occurrence of the pathogen and its potential impact on muskox populations. Materials and methods We adapted a commercial porcine E. rhusiopathiae enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to test 958 blood samples that were collected from muskoxen from seven regions in Alaska and the Canadian Arctic between 1976 and 2017. The cutoff between negative and positive results was established using mixture-distribution analysis, a data-driven approach. Based on 818 samples for which a serological status could be determined and with complete information, we calculated trends in sample seroprevalences in population time-series and compared them with population trends in the investigated regions. Results Overall, 219/818 (27.8%, 95% Confidence Interval: 24.7-31.0) samples were classified as positive for exposure to E. rhusiopathiae. There were large variations between years and

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Novel insights into serodiagnosis and epidemiology of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, a newly recognized pathogen in muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus)

et al. 2020

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“…The strongest negative trends in Arctic sea ice have been observed around Svalbard and the northern Barents Sea (Comiso et al, ; Onarheim et al, ; Stroeve et al, ). Therefore, our study provides an early warning that continued sea ice decline linked to global warming will lead to increased genetic isolation and population differentiation through genetic drift, not only in Svalbard reindeer but also other Arctic wildlife, such as Peary caribou (Jenkins et al, , ; Mallory & Boyce, ), Arctic fox (Geffen et al, ; Norén et al, ), polar bear (Laidre et al, ), and muskox (Hansen et al, ). Indeed, the populations of Svalbard reindeer that were reintroduced into West Spitsbergen are already facing increased demographic isolation due to sea ice loss (Nilsen et al, ; Pedersen et al, ), which increases their vulnerability to current climate change and the increased frequency of extreme winter weather events (Hansen, Aanes, Herfindal, Kohler, & Sæther, ; Peeters et al, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 89%

Sea ice loss increases genetic isolation in a high Arctic ungulate metapopulation

Peeters

Moullec

Raeymaekers

et al. 2020

Global Change Biology

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Sea ice loss may have dramatic consequences for population connectivity, extinction–colonization dynamics, and even the persistence of Arctic species subject to climate change. This is of particular concern in face of additional anthropogenic stressors, such as overexploitation. In this study, we assess the population‐genetic implications of diminishing sea ice cover in the endemic, high Arctic Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus) by analyzing the interactive effects of landscape barriers and reintroductions (following harvest‐induced extirpations) on their metapopulation genetic structure. We genotyped 411 wild reindeer from 25 sampling sites throughout the entire subspecies' range at 19 microsatellite loci. Bayesian clustering analysis showed a genetic structure composed of eight populations, of which two were admixed. Overall population genetic differentiation was high (mean FST = 0.21). Genetic diversity was low (allelic richness [AR] = 2.07–2.58; observed heterozygosity = 0.23–0.43) and declined toward the outer distribution range, where populations showed significant levels of inbreeding. Coalescent estimates of effective population sizes and migration rates revealed strong evolutionary source–sink dynamics with the central population as the main source. The population genetic structure was best explained by a landscape genetics model combining strong isolation by glaciers and open water, and high connectivity by dispersal across winter sea ice. However, the observed patterns of natural isolation were strongly modified by the signature of past harvest‐induced extirpations, subsequent reintroductions, and recent lack of sea ice. These results suggest that past and current anthropogenic drivers of metapopulation dynamics may have interactive effects on large‐scale ecological and evolutionary processes. Continued loss of sea ice as a dispersal corridor within and between island systems is expected to increase the genetic isolation of populations, and thus threaten the evolutionary potential and persistence of Arctic wildlife.

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“…This speciation model has been found in recent studies of many organisms (Hartmann et al, 2020;He et al, 2019;Oswald et al, 2017), suggesting that the diverging effects of drift and the homogenizing effects of gene flow were probably in equilibrium, rather than one overwhelming the other. giving us important insights for evaluating the impact of climate change on the extinction potential of a species (Hansen et al, 2018;Pedersen et al, 2018). Our historical demographic changes based on nuclear data indicated that the N e of the southern lineage was strongly affected by the LGM, suggesting rapid demographic declines.…”

Section: Ecological Niche Modellingmentioning

confidence: 89%

Are population isolations and declines a threat to island endemic water striders? A lesson from demographic and niche modelling of Metrocoris esakii (Hemiptera: Gerridae)

Chen

Yuan

et al. 2020

Molecular Ecology

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Local endemic species are an important part of biodiversity hotspots and are of great significance for biodiversity conservation (Myers et al., 2000). In contrast to widespread and common species, local endemic species are often characterized by narrow geographical ranges and the need for specialized ecological niches (Işik, 2011). Species with narrow distribution areas and specialized niche requirements also tend to have a small population size (Işik, 2011). Genetic stochasticity due to small population size might contribute

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The Muskox Lost a Substantial Part of Its Genetic Diversity on Its Long Road to Greenland

Cited by 38 publications

References 72 publications

Novel insights into serodiagnosis and epidemiology of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, a newly recognized pathogen in muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus)

Novel insights into serodiagnosis and epidemiology of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, a newly recognized pathogen in muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus)

Sea ice loss increases genetic isolation in a high Arctic ungulate metapopulation

Are population isolations and declines a threat to island endemic water striders? A lesson from demographic and niche modelling of Metrocoris esakii (Hemiptera: Gerridae)

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