Genomic analysis of demographic history and ecological niche modeling in the endangered Chinese Grouse Tetrastes sewerzowi

• Background: The Quaternary is characterized by marked climatic oscillations between glacial and interglacial periods that had worldwide consequences in forming the contemporary diversity of many populations, species and communities. The origin and evolution of biodiversity in mountainous areas are highly dependent on historical orogenesis and associated climatic changes. The Chinese grouse Tetrastes sewerzowi is a forest-dwelling species endemic to the mountains to the east of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, which has been listed as Near Threatened with a decreasing trend by the IUCN because of ongoing deforestation and fragmentation of coniferous forests. Understanding demographic history is important in placing current population status into a broader ecological and evolutionary context.Results: Analysis of the Chinese Grouse genome reveals fluctuation in effective population size throughout the Pleistocene. Populations decreased during early to middle Pleistocene but showed an expansion during late Pleistocene then followed a sharp decline during the last glacial maximum (LGM). Ecological niche modeling indicated that suitable habitat shift between high altitude regions to low altitude regions were due to a changing climate. The result parallels patterns of population size change in Chinese Grouse estimated from PSMC modelling, which suggested an expansion in population size from the last interglacial period and then a peak and a bottleneck occurring at the LGM. Furthermore, the present-day distribution of Chinese Grouse is greatly reduced and will become highly fragmented if boreal forest cover restricts the ecological niche.Conclusions: The Chinese Grouse have experienced substantial population size changes from the beginning to the LIG and reached a peak before the LGM. A sharp decrease and bottleneck happened during the LGM, when the conifer forests were subjected to extensive loss. The results inferred from the whole genome sequencing and species distribution models both support the historical population fluctuation. The distribution of the Chinese Grouse was strongly dependent on the boreal forest cover. To protect the fragmented boreal forest is an essential action to protect the Chinese Grouse.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi -- Evolutionsbiologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences -- Evolutionary Biology (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi -- Genetik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences -- Genetics (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Zooekologi

Animal Ecology

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