| 1. |
- Bertola, Laura D., et al.
(author)
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A pragmatic approach for integrating molecular tools into biodiversity conservation
- 2024
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In: Conservation science and practice. - 2578-4854. ; 6:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Molecular tools are increasingly applied for assessing and monitoring biodiversity and informing conservation action. While recent developments in genetic and genomic methods provide greater sensitivity in analysis and the capacity to address new questions, they are not equally available to all practitioners: There is considerable bias across institutions and countries in access to technologies, funding, and training. Consequently, in many cases, more accessible traditional genetic data (e.g., microsatellites) are still utilized for making conservation decisions. Conservation approaches need to be pragmatic by tackling clearly defined management questions and using the most appropriate methods available, while maximizing the use of limited resources. Here we present some key questions to consider when applying the molecular toolbox for accessible and actionable conservation management. Finally, we highlight a number of important steps to be addressed in a collaborative way, which can facilitate the broad integration of molecular data into conservation. Molecular tools are increasingly applied in conservation management; however, they are not equally available to all practitioners. We here provide key questions when establishing a conservation genetic study and highlight important steps which need to be addressed when these tools are globally applied.image
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| 2. |
- Andersson, Anastasia, et al.
(author)
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Complex genetic diversity patterns of cryptic, sympatric brown trout (Salmo trutta) populations in tiny mountain lakes
- 2017
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In: Conservation Genetics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1566-0621 .- 1572-9737. ; 18:5, s. 1213-1227
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Intraspecific genetic variation can have similar effects as species diversity on ecosystem function; understanding such variation is important, particularly for ecological key species. The brown trout plays central roles in many northern freshwater ecosystems, and several cases of sympatric brown trout populations have been detected in freshwater lakes based on apparent morphological differences. In some rare cases, sympatric, genetically distinct populations lacking visible phenotypic differences have been detected based on genetic data alone. Detecting such cryptic sympatric populations without prior grouping of individuals based on phenotypic characteristics is more difficult statistically, though. The aim of the present study is to delineate the spatial connectivity of two cryptic, sympatric genetic clusters of brown trout discovered in two interconnected, tiny subarctic Swedish lakes. The structures were detected using allozyme markers, and have been monitored over time. Here, we confirm their existence for almost three decades and report that these cryptic, sympatric populations exhibit very different connectivity patterns to brown trout of nearby lakes. One of the clusters is relatively isolated while the other one shows high genetic similarity to downstream populations. There are indications of different spawning sites as reflected in genetic structuring among parr from different creeks. We used > 3000 SNPs on a subsample and find that the SNPs largely confirm the allozyme pattern but give considerably lower F (ST) values, and potentially indicate further structuring within populations. This type of complex genetic substructuring over microgeographical scales might be more common than anticipated and needs to be considered in conservation management.
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| 3. |
- Andersson, Anastasia, 1987-
(author)
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Hidden biodiversity in an alpine freshwater top predator : Existence, characteristics, and temporal dynamics of cryptic, sympatric brown trout populations
- 2021
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Intraspecific genetic diversity is imperative to the survival of species in a changing environment, and it plays a vital role in ecosystem function. Since this type of diversity can be difficult to detect it is sometimes referred to as “hidden biodiversity”. When separate and genetically distinct populations of the same species coexist within the same habitat, without apparent barriers to migration and obvious phenotypic divergence, this form of hidden biodiversity is called cryptic sympatry. Knowledge of cryptic sympatry is limited, however, and the aim of this thesis is to increase our understanding of this phenomenon by focusing on a species group where several cases of sympatry have been documented – the salmonids.Using the brown trout (Salmo trutta) as a model, I characterized two previously reported cases of cryptic sympatry occurring in small Swedish alpine lakes with respect to both phenotypic and genetic characteristics. I explored the hypothesis that cryptic sympatry is more common than currently recognized by reviewing literature documenting sympatry, as well as by assessing the statistical power to detect sympatric populations with varying degrees of divergence using commonly applied sample sizes for loci and individuals. Further, I performed a large-scale search for sympatric populations in alpine lakes in central Sweden.I found that cryptic, sympatric populations can coexist while apparently utilizing the same food resources and exhibiting the same adaptive plasticity to their shared environment (Paper I). In one of the empirical cases there were indications that the populations used different creeks for spawning, suggesting that segregation in spawning location contributes to the maintenance of sympatry (Paper II). Further, I found that differences between cryptic, sympatric populations of the same lake may be large with respect to levels of genetic diversity, inbreeding, and connectivity with populations in nearby lakes (Papers II and III). I found support for the hypothesis that cryptic sympatry is more common than generally acknowledged (Papers IV and V). In the literature, cryptic sympatry is rarely reported and typically associated with higher divergence levels than between sympatric populations that differ phenotypically. My results suggest that this to a large extent may be due to limited statistical power when commonly used sample sizes in terms of individuals and loci are applied and the amount of divergence between populations is small (Paper IV). Cryptic sympatry was observed in over 40% of the screened localities (27 lakes), and was shown to be temporally stable over at least 40 years (Paper V).
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| 4. |
- Andersson, Anastasia, et al.
(author)
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Lack of trophic polymorphism despite substantial genetic differentiation in sympatric brown trout (Salmo trutta) populations
- 2017
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In: Ecology of Freshwater Fish. - : Wiley. - 0906-6691 .- 1600-0633. ; 26:4, s. 643-652
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Sympatric populations occur in many freshwater fish species; such populations are typically detected through morphological distinctions that are often coupled to food niche and genetic separations. In salmonids, trophic and genetically separate sympatric populations have been reported in landlocked Arctic char, whitefish and brown trout. In Arctic char and brown trout rare cases of sympatric, genetically distinct populations have been detected based on genetic data alone, with no apparent morphological differences, that is cryptic structuring. It remains unknown whether such cryptic, sympatric structuring can be coupled to food niche separation. Here, we perform an extensive screening for trophic divergence of two genetically divergent, seemingly cryptic, sympatric brown trout populations documented to remain in stable sympatry over several decades in two interconnected, tiny mountain lakes in a nature reserve in central Sweden. We investigate body shape, body length, gill raker metrics, breeding status and diet (stomach content analysis and stable isotopes) in these populations. We find small significant differences for body shape, body size and breeding status, and no evidence of food niche separation between these two populations. In contrast, fish in the two lakes differed in body shape, diet, and nitrogen and carbon isotope signatures despite no genetic difference between lakes. These genetically divergent populations apparently coexist using the same food resources and showing the same adaptive plasticity to the local food niches of the two separate lakes. Such observations have not been reported previously but may be more common than recognised as genetic screenings are necessary to detect the structures.
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- Andersson, Anastasia, 1987-, et al.
(author)
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Monitoring genetic diversity with new indicators applied to an alpine freshwater top predator
- 2022
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In: Molecular Ecology. - : Wiley. - 0962-1083 .- 1365-294X. ; 31:24, s. 6422-6439
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Genetic diversity is the basis for population adaptation and long-term survival, yet rarely considered in biodiversity monitoring. One key issue is the need for useful and straightforward indicators of genetic diversity. We monitored genetic diversity over 40 years (1970–2010) in metapopulations of brown trout (Salmo trutta) inhabiting 27 small mountain lakes representing 10 lake systems in central Sweden using >1200 fish per time point. We tested six newly proposed indicators; three were designed for broad, international use in the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and are currently applied in several countries. The other three were recently elaborated for national use by a Swedish science-management effort and applied for the first time here. The Swedish indicators use molecular genetic data to monitor genetic diversity within and between populations (indicators ΔH and ΔFST, respectively) and assess the effective population size (Ne-indicator). We identified 29 genetically distinct populations, all retained over time. Twelve of the 27 lakes harboured more than one population indicating that brown trout biodiversity hidden as cryptic, sympatric populations are more common than recognized. The Ne indicator showed values below the threshold (Ne ≤ 500) in 20 populations with five showing Ne < 100. Statistically significant genetic diversity reductions occurred in several populations. Metapopulation structure appears to buffer against diversity loss; applying the indicators to metapopulations suggest mostly acceptable rates of change in all but one system. The CBD indicators agreed with the Swedish ones but provided less detail. All these indicators are appropriate for managers to initiate monitoring of genetic biodiversity.
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| 7. |
- Andersson, Anastasia, et al.
(author)
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Two shades of boldness : novel object and anti-predator behavior reflect different personality dimensions in domestic rabbits
- 2014
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In: Journal of ethology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0289-0771 .- 1439-5444. ; 32:3, s. 123-136
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- It is increasingly common to quantify and describe behavioral variation in domestic and wild animals in terms of personality. Correlating behavioral traits are referred to as personality dimensions or factors and different dimensions have been reported in different species. Boldness is a well-described personality dimension in several species, although some issues remain unclear. Previous models of boldness include both novelty and risk taking, but recent studies indicate that these types of behaviors may reflect separate personality dimensions. In this study, we developed a behavioral test battery for domestic rabbits, and recorded behaviors of 61 individuals in four different situations (novel object, novel arena, social, and predator interactions). We used domestic rabbits as a model because behavioral variation in rabbits has rarely been quantified in terms of personality dimensions, although rabbit behavior is described. We also wanted to investigate behavioral variation in a Swedish rabbit breed of conservation concern - the Gotland rabbit. Factor analysis of the behavioral test measures suggested three personality dimensions: exploration, boldness, and anxiety. Novel object scores clustered in the exploration and boldness factors, whereas scores associated with predator interactions were explained by anxiety, indicating that novel object and anti-predator behavior reflect different personality dimensions in rabbits.
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| 8. |
- André, Carl, 1958, et al.
(author)
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Detecting population structure in a high gene-flow species, Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) : direct, simultaneous evaluation of neutral vs putatively selected loci
- 2011
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In: Heredity. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0018-067X .- 1365-2540. ; 106:2, s. 270-280
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In many marine fish species, genetic population structure is typically weak because populations are large, evolutionarily young and have a high potential for gene flow. We tested whether genetic markers influenced by natural selection are more efficient than the presumed neutral genetic markers to detect population structure in Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus), a migratory pelagic species with large effective population sizes. We compared the spatial and temporal patterns of divergence and statistical power of three traditional genetic marker types, microsatellites, allozymes and mitochondrial DNA, with one microsatellite locus, Cpa112, previously shown to be influenced by divergent selection associated with salinity, and one locus located in the major histocompatibility complex class IIA (MHC-IIA) gene, using the same individuals across analyses. Samples were collected in 2002 and 2003 at two locations in the North Sea, one location in the Skagerrak and one location in the low-saline Baltic Sea. Levels of divergence for putatively neutral markers were generally low, with the exception of single outlier locus/sample combinations; microsatellites were the most statistically powerful markers under neutral expectations. We found no evidence of selection acting on the MHC locus. Cpa112, however, was highly divergent in the Baltic samples. Simulations addressing the statistical power for detecting population divergence showed that when using Cpa112 alone, compared with using eight presumed neutral microsatellite loci, sample sizes could be reduced by up to a tenth while still retaining high statistical power. Our results show that the loci influenced by selection can serve as powerful markers for detecting population structure in high gene-flow marine fish species.
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| 9. |
- Anrup, Roland, et al.
(author)
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Centrala universitetsvärden hotas av bolagiseringsidén
- 2013
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In: Dagens nyheter. - 1101-2447.
-
Journal article (pop. science, debate, etc.)abstract
- Högskolestiftelser. Förslaget att driva svenska universitet i stiftelseform öppnar för bolagisering. Men det är ingen riktig utredning, utan en politisk pamflett utan eftertanke. Privatisering av universitet hotar både oberoendet, forskningskvaliteten och samhällsnyttan, skriver 36 forskare vid svenska högskolor och universitet.
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| 10. |
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| 11. |
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| 12. |
- Charlier, Johan, et al.
(author)
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Census (NC) and genetically effective (Ne) population size in a lake-resident population of brown trout Salmo trutta
- 2011
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In: Journal of Fish Biology. - : Wiley. - 0022-1112 .- 1095-8649. ; 79:7, s. 2074-2082
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Census (NC) and effective population size (Ne) were estimated for a lake-resident population of brown trout Salmo trutta as 576 and 63, respectively. The point estimate of the ratio of effective to census population size (Ne:NC) for this population is 0·11 with a range of 0·06–0·26, suggesting that Ne:NC ratio for lake-resident populations agree more with estimates for fishes with anadromous life histories than the small ratios observed in many marine fishes
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| 13. |
- Charlier, Johan, et al.
(author)
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Genetic monitoring reveals temporal stability over 30 years in a small, lake-resident brown trout population
- 2012
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In: Heredity. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0018-067X .- 1365-2540. ; 109:4, s. 246-253
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Knowledge of the degree of temporal stability of population genetic structure and composition is important for understanding microevolutionary processes and addressing issues of human impact of natural populations. We know little about how representative single samples in time are to reflect population genetic constitution, and we explore the temporal genetic variability patterns over a 30-year period of annual sampling of a lake-resident brown trout (Salmo trutta) population, covering 37 consecutive cohorts and five generations. Levels of variation remain largely stable over this period, with no indication of substructuring within the lake. We detect genetic drift, however, and the genetically effective population size (Ne) was assessed from allele-frequency shifts between consecutive cohorts using an unbiased estimator that accounts for the effect of overlapping generation. The overall mean Ne is estimated as 74. We find indications that Ne varies over time, but there is no obvious temporal trend. We also estimated Ne using a one-sample approach based on linkage disequilibrium (LD) that does not account for the effect of overlapping generations. Combining one-sample estimates for all years gives an Ne estimate of 76. This similarity between estimates may be coincidental or reflecting a general robustness of the LD approach to violations of the discrete generations assumption. In contrast to the observed genetic stability, body size and catch per effort have increased over the study period. Estimates of annual effective number of breeders (Nb) correlated with catch per effort, suggesting that genetic monitoring can be used for detecting fluctuations in abundance.
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| 14. |
- Charlier, Johan, et al.
(author)
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Genetic structure and evidence of a local bottleneck in moose in Sweden
- 2008
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In: Journal of Wildlife Management. - : Wiley. - 0022-541X .- 1937-2817. ; 72:2, s. 411-415
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The moose (Alces alces) is the most intensely managed game species in Sweden. Despite the biological and socioeconomical importance of moose, little is known of its population genetic structure. We analyzed 132 individuals from 4 geographically separate regions in Sweden for genetic variability at 6 microsatellite loci. We found evidence of strong substructuring and restricted levels of gene flow in this potentially mobile mammal. FST values were around 10%, and assignment tests indicated 3 genetically distinct populations over the study area. Spatial autocorrelation analysis provided a genetic patch size of approximately 420 km, implying that moose less than this distance apart are genetically more similar than 2 random individuals. Allele and genotype frequency distributions suggested a recent bottleneck in southern Sweden. Results indicate that moose may be more genetically divergent than currently anticipated, and therefore, the strong hunting pressure that is maintained over all of Sweden may have considerable local effects on genetic diversity. Sustainable moose hunting requires identification of spatial genetic structure to ensure that separate, genetically distinct subpopulations are not overharvested.
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| 15. |
- Charlier, Johan, 1977-
(author)
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Monitoring gene level biodiversity - aspects and considerations in the context of conservation
- 2011
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The objectives of this thesis relate to questions needed to be addressed in the context of genetic monitoring for implementing the Convention on Biological Diversity for the gene level. Genetic monitoring is quantifying temporal changes in population genetic metrics. Specific goals of this thesis include i) synthesizing existing information relevant to genetic monitoring of Swedish species, ii) providing a genetic baseline for the Swedish moose, iii) evaluating the relative performance of nuclear versus organelle genetic markers for detecting population divergence, iv) actually monitoring the genetic composition, structure, level of variation, and effective population size (Ne) and assessing the relation between Ne and the actual number of individuals for an unexploited brown trout population. The concept of conservation genetic monitoring is defined and Swedish priority species for such monitoring are identified; they include highly exploited organisms such as moose, salmonid fishes, Norway spruce, Atlantic cod, and Atlantic herring. Results indicate that the Swedish moose might be more genetically divergent than previously anticipated and appears to be divided into at least three different subpopulations, representing a southern, a central, and a northern population. The relative efficiency of nuclear and organelle markers depends on the relationship between the degree of genetic differentiation at the two types of markers. In turn, this relates to how far the divergence process has progressed. For the monitored brown trout population no indication of systematic change of population structure or allele frequencies was observed over 30 years. Significant genetic drift was found, though, translating into an overall Ne-estimate of ~75. The actual number of adult fish (NC) was assessed as ~600, corresponding to an Ne/NC ratio of 0.13. In spite of the relatively small effective population size monitoring did not reveal loss of genetic variation.
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| 16. |
- Dussex, Nicolas, et al.
(author)
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Moose genomes reveal past glacial demography and the origin of modern lineages
- 2020
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In: BMC Genomics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2164. ; 21:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Numerous megafauna species from northern latitudes went extinct during the Pleistocene/Holocene transition as a result of climate-induced habitat changes. However, several ungulate species managed to successfully track their habitats during this period to eventually flourish and recolonise the holarctic regions. So far, the genomic impacts of these climate fluctuations on ungulates from high latitudes have been little explored. Here, we assemble a de-novo genome for the European moose (Alces alces) and analyse it together with re-sequenced nuclear genomes and ancient and modern mitogenomes from across the moose range in Eurasia and North America.Results: We found that moose demographic history was greatly influenced by glacial cycles, with demographic responses to the Pleistocene/Holocene transition similar to other temperate ungulates. Our results further support that modern moose lineages trace their origin back to populations that inhabited distinct glacial refugia during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Finally, we found that present day moose in Europe and North America show low to moderate inbreeding levels resulting from post-glacial bottlenecks and founder effects, but no evidence for recent inbreeding resulting from human-induced population declines.Conclusions: Taken together, our results highlight the dynamic recent evolutionary history of the moose and provide an important resource for further genomic studies.
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| 17. |
- Dussex, Nicolas, et al.
(author)
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Range-wide and temporal genomic analyses reveal the consequences of near-extinction in Swedish moose
- 2023
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In: Communications Biology. - 2399-3642. ; 6:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Ungulate species have experienced severe declines over the past centuries through overharvesting and habitat loss. Even if many game species have recovered thanks to strict hunting regulation, the genome-wide impacts of overharvesting are still unclear. Here, we examine the temporal and geographical differences in genome-wide diversity in moose (Alces alces) over its whole range in Sweden by sequencing 87 modern and historical genomes. We found limited impact of the 1900s near-extinction event but local variation in inbreeding and load in modern populations, as well as suggestion of a risk of future reduction in genetic diversity and gene flow. Furthermore, we found candidate genes for local adaptation, and rapid temporal allele frequency shifts involving coding genes since the 1980s, possibly due to selective harvesting. Our results highlight that genomic changes potentially impacting fitness can occur over short time scales and underline the need to track both deleterious and selectively advantageous genomic variation.
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| 18. |
- Gilchrist, Ciaran
(author)
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Hopeful monsters: The role of hybrids in adaptation : The impact of hybridisation and genetic diversity on adaptation to stressful and novel environments
- 2022
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Adaptation to novel environments can only occur if natural selection has the raw material to act upon. But small, endangered populations are often genetically depleted, and the acquisition of beneficial de novo mutations often takes too long when population face quick and extreme environmental change. An alternative source for new variation is hybridisation and the genomic reshuffling and structural chromosomal changes accompanying it. In this thesis, I use yeast, experimental evolution, and comparative genomics to investigate the impact of different sources of genetic variation in adaptation to stressful environments - standing genetic variation, de novo mutations, and hybridisation.In Chapter I, I investigate the role of aneuploidy in the adaptation of microbial eukaryotes and the genetic mechanisms causing erroneous chromosome segregation, using a meta-analysis. I found that smaller chromosomes are more often aneuploid and that the frequency of segregation errors during cell division is higher in genomes with higher initial ploidy. I also propose that the co-occurrence of hybridisation and aneuploidy may provide an adaptive advantage in stressful environments.Traditionally, microbial experimental evolution studies start with clonal populations, relying on adaptation from de novo mutations alone. In the wild, this is an unlikely scenario. In Chapter II, I evolved genetically diverse founder populations for up to 1000 generations in 4 distinct environments and tracked adaptation dynamics at the phenotypic and genomic level. Almost all populations rapidly increased in fitness but the underlying allele frequency changes were surprisingly diverse and environment-specific. While in some populations all ancestral variation went to fixation in < 30 generations, others maintained genetic diversity across hundreds of generations. I found stunning parallelism of de novo mutations at the gene and pathway level and detected potentially adaptive aneuploidies.Hybridisation drastically boosts the genetic diversity of populations, which can allow for transgressive hybrids (hopeful monsters) with selective advantages in novel environments. In Chapter III, I made hybrid crosses at increasing parental divergence (using divergently evolved populations from Chapter II) and measured how much heterosis and transgressive segregation occurred in F1 and F2 hybrids when exposing them to 50 new, stressful environments. I found that both heterosis and transgression increased as a function of parental divergence, confirming predictions of quantitative genetics theory. Some hybrids were even able to survive in arsenic concentrations lethal for both parents.Anthropogenic climate change drives up rates of hybridisation between natural populations, yet the potential benefits and risks of hybridisation for the long-term conservation of populations are often unknown. In Chapter IV, I compared the survivability of hybrid populations to their parents under deteriorating environmental conditions. I found that hybrids avoided extinction for a significantly longer time than their parents, at all levels of parental divergence. The more divergent the parents the more similar were the responses of replicate crosses, likely due to the erosion of standing genetic variation in the parental populations.In summary, my thesis provides a better understanding of the impact of different sources of genetic diversity in determining a population’s capacity to adapt to environmental change.
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| 19. |
- Guban, Peter, et al.
(author)
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Genetic diversity in Monoporeia affinis at polluted and reference sites of the Baltic Bothnian Bay
- 2015
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In: Marine Pollution Bulletin. - : Elsevier BV. - 0025-326X .- 1879-3363. ; 93:1-2, s. 245-249
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The amphipod Monoporeia affinis plays an important role in the Baltic Sea ecosystem as prey and as detritivore. The species is monitored for contaminant effects, but almost nothing is known about its genetics in this region. A pilot screening for genetic variation at the mitochondrial COI gene was performed in 113 individuals collected at six sites in the northern Baltic. Three coastal sites were polluted by pulp mill effluents, PAHs, and trace metals, and two coastal reference sites were without obvious connection to pollution sources. An off-coastal reference site was also included. Contaminated sites showed lower levels of genetic diversity than the coastal reference ones although the difference was not statistically significant. Divergence patterns measured as Phi(ST) showed no significant differentiation within reference and polluted groups, but there was significant genetic divergence between them. The off-coastal sample differed significantly from all coastal sites and also showed lower genetic variation.
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| 20. |
- Hill, Jason, et al.
(author)
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Recurrent convergent evolution at amino acid residue 261 in fish rhodopsin
- 2019
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In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - : Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. - 0027-8424 .- 1091-6490. ; 116:37, s. 18473-18478
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The evolutionary process that occurs when a species colonizes a new environment provides an opportunity to explore the mechanisms underlying genetic adaptation, which is essential knowledge for understanding evolution and the maintenance of biodiversity. Atlantic herring has an estimated total breeding stock of about 1 trillion (10(12)) and has colonized the brackish Baltic Sea within the last 10,000 y. Minute genetic differentiation between Atlantic and Baltic herring populations at selectively neutral loci combined with this rapid adaptation to a new environment facilitated the identification of hundreds of loci underlying ecological adaptation. A major question in the field of evolutionary biology is to what extent such an adaptive process involves selection of novel mutations with large effects or genetic changes at many loci, each with a small effect on phenotype (i.e., selection on standing genetic variation). Here we show that a missense mutation in rhodopsin (Phe261Tyr) is an adaptation to the red-shifted Baltic Sea light environment. The transition from phenylalanine to tyrosine differs only by the presence of a hydroxyl moiety in the latter, but this results in an up to 10-nm red-shifted light absorbance of the receptor. Remarkably, an examination of the rhodopsin sequences from 2,056 species of fish revealed that the same missense mutation has occurred independently and been selected for during at least 20 transitions between light environments across all fish. Our results provide a spectacular example of convergent evolution and how a single amino acid change can have a major effect on ecological adaptation.
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| 21. |
- Hoban, Sean, et al.
(author)
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Genetic diversity goals and targets have improved, but remain insufficient for clear implementation of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework
- 2023
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In: Conservation Genetics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1566-0621 .- 1572-9737. ; 24:2, s. 181-191
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Genetic diversity among and within populations of all species is necessary for people and nature to survive and thrive in a changing world. Over the past three years, commitments for conserving genetic diversity have become more ambitious and specific under the Convention on Biological Diversity’s (CBD) draft post-2020 global biodiversity framework (GBF). This Perspective article comments on how goals and targets of the GBF have evolved, the improvements that are still needed, lessons learned from this process, and connections between goals and targets and the actions and reporting that will be needed to maintain, protect, manage and monitor genetic diversity. It is possible and necessary that the GBF strives to maintain genetic diversity within and among populations of all species, to restore genetic connectivity, and to develop national genetic conservation strategies, and to report on these using proposed, feasible indicators.
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| 22. |
- Hoban, Sean, et al.
(author)
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Genetic diversity targets and indicators in the CBD post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework must be improved
- 2020
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In: Biological Conservation. - : Elsevier BV. - 0006-3207 .- 1873-2917. ; 248
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The 196 parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) will soon agree to a post-2020 global framework for conserving the three elements of biodiversity (genetic, species, and ecosystem diversity) while ensuring sustainable development and benefit sharing. As the most significant global conservation policy mechanism, the new CBD framework has far-reaching consequences- it will guide conservation actions and reporting for each member country until 2050. In previous CBD strategies, as well as other major conservation policy mechanisms, targets and indicators for genetic diversity (variation at the DNA level within species, which facilitates species adaptation and ecosystem function) were undeveloped and focused on species of agricultural relevance. We assert that, to meet global conservation goals, genetic diversity within all species, not just domesticated species and their wild relatives, must be conserved and monitored using appropriate metrics. Building on suggestions in a recent Letter in Science (Laikre et al., 2020) we expand argumentation for three new, pragmatic genetic indicators and modifications to two current indicators for maintaining genetic diversity and adaptive capacity of all species, and provide guidance on their practical use. The indicators are: 1) the number of populations with effective population size above versus below 500, 2) the proportion of populations maintained within species, 3) the number of species and populations in which genetic diversity is monitored using DNA-based methods. We also present and discuss Goals and Action Targets for post-2020 biodiversity conservation which are connected to these indicators and underlying data. These pragmatic indicators and goals have utility beyond the CBD; they should benefit conservation and monitoring of genetic diversity via national and global policy for decades to come.
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| 23. |
- Hoban, Sean, et al.
(author)
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Global Commitments to Conserving and Monitoring Genetic Diversity Are Now Necessary and Feasible
- 2021
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In: BioScience. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0006-3568 .- 1525-3244. ; 71:9, s. 964-976
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Global conservation policy and action have largely neglected protecting and monitoring genetic diversity-one of the three main pillars of biodiversity. Genetic diversity (diversity within species) underlies species' adaptation and survival, ecosystem resilience, and societal innovation. The low priority given to genetic diversity has largely been due to knowledge gaps in key areas, including the importance of genetic diversity and the trends in genetic diversity change; the perceived high expense and low availability and the scattered nature of genetic data; and complicated concepts and information that are inaccessible to policymakers. However, numerous recent advances in knowledge, technology, databases, practice, and capacity have now set the stage for better integration of genetic diversity in policy instruments and conservation efforts. We review these developments and explore how they can support improved consideration of genetic diversity in global conservation policy commitments and enable countries to monitor, report on, and take action to maintain or restore genetic diversity.
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| 24. |
- Hoban, Sean, et al.
(author)
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Monitoring status and trends in genetic diversity for the Convention on Biological Diversity : An ongoing assessment of genetic indicators in nine countries
- 2023
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In: Conservation Letters. - 1755-263X. ; 16:3
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Recent scientific evidence shows that genetic diversity must be maintained, managed, and monitored to protect biodiversity and nature's contributions to people. Three genetic diversity indicators, two of which do not require DNA-based assessment, have been proposed for reporting to the Convention on Biological Diversity and other conservation and policy initiatives. These indicators allow an approximation of the status and trends of genetic diversity to inform policy, using existing demographic and geographic information. Application of these indicators has been initiated and here we describe ongoing efforts in calculating these indicators with examples. We specifically describe a project underway to apply these indicators in nine countries, provide example calculations, address concerns of policy makers and implementation challenges, and describe a roadmap for further development and deployment, incorporating feedback from the broader community. We also present guidance documents and data collection tools for calculating indicators. We demonstrate that Parties can successfully and cost-effectively report these genetic diversity indicators with existing biodiversity observation data, and, in doing so, better conserve the Earth's biodiversity.
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| 25. |
- Hoban, Sean, et al.
(author)
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Too simple, too complex, or just right? Advantages, challenges, and guidance for indicators of genetic diversity
- 2024
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In: BioScience. - 0006-3568 .- 1525-3244.
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Measuring genetic diversity of wild species using DNA-based data remains resource intensive and time consuming for nearly all species. However, genetic assessments are needed for global conservation commitments, including the Convention on Biological Diversity, and for governments and managers to evaluate conservation progress, as well as prioritizing species and populations to preserve and recover genetic diversity (e.g., via genetic rescue). Recently, indicators were developed for tracking and reporting genetic diversity status and trends for hundreds of species. The indicators quantify two simple proxies of within-population and among-population genetic diversity and adaptive potential: small effective population size (Ne < 500) and the loss of genetically distinct populations. The indicators must balance scientific credibility, practicality, and simplicity. In the present article, we summarize the advantages of these pragmatic indicators, address critiques by scientists for simplifying assumptions and by policymakers for complexity, and propose potential solutions and next steps. We aim to support practitioners putting indicators into policy, action, legislation, and reporting.
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| 26. |
- Hössjer, Ola, et al.
(author)
-
A new general analytical approach for modeling patterns of genetic differentiation and effective size of subdivided populations over time
- 2014
-
In: Mathematical Biosciences. - : Elsevier BV. - 0025-5564 .- 1879-3134. ; 258, s. 113-133
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The main purpose of this paper is to develop a theoretical framework for assessing effective population size and genetic divergence in situations with structured populations that consist of various numbers of more or less interconnected subpopulations. We introduce a general infinite allele model for a diploid, monoecious and subdivided population, with subpopulation sizes varying overtime, including local subpopulation extinction and recolonization, bottlenecks, cyclic census size changes or exponential growth. Exact matrix analytic formulas are derived for recursions of predicted (expected) gene identities and gene diversities, identity by descent and coalescence probabilities, and standardized variances of allele frequency change. This enables us to compute and put into a general framework a number of different types of genetically effective population sizes (N-e) including variance, inbreeding, nucleotide diversity, and eigenvalue effective size. General expressions for predictions (g(ST)) of the coefficient of gene differentiation G(ST) are also derived. We suggest that in order to adequately describe important properties of a subdivided population with respect to allele frequency change and maintenance of genetic variation over time, single values of g(ST) and N-e are not enough. Rather, the temporal dynamic patterns of these properties are important to consider. We introduce several schemes for weighting subpopulations that enable effective size and expected genetic divergence to be calculated and described as functions of time, globally for the whole population and locally for any group of subpopulations. The traditional concept of effective size is generalized to situations where genetic drift is confounded by external sources, such as immigration and mutation. Finally, we introduce a general methodology for state space reduction, which greatly decreases the computational complexity of the matrix analytic formulas.
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| 27. |
- Hössjer, Ola, 1964-, et al.
(author)
-
Assessment of the Global Variance Effective Size of Subdivided Populations, and Its Relation to Other Effective Sizes
- 2023
-
In: Acta Biotheoretica. - 0001-5342 .- 1572-8358. ; 71:3
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The variance effective population size (N-eV) is frequently used to quantify the expected rate at which a population's allele frequencies change over time. The purpose of this paper is to find expressions for the global N-eV of a spatially structured population that are of interest for conservation of species. Since N-eV depends on allele frequency change, we start by dividing the cause of allele frequency change into genetic drift within subpopulations (I) and a second component mainly due to migration between subpopulations (II). We investigate in detail how these two components depend on the way in which subpopulations are weighted as well as their dependence on parameters of the model such a migration rates, and local effective and census sizes. It is shown that under certain conditions the impact of II is eliminated, and N-eV of the metapopulation is maximized, when subpopulations are weighted proportionally to their long term reproductive contributions. This maximal N-eV is the sought for global effective size, since it approximates the gene diversity effective size N-eGD, a quantifier of the rate of loss of genetic diversity that is relevant for conservation of species and populations. We also propose two novel versions of N-eV, one of which (the backward version of N-eV) is most stable, exists for most populations, and is closer to N-eGD than the classical notion of N-eV. Expressions for the optimal length of the time interval for measuring genetic change are developed, that make it possible to estimate any version of N-eV with maximal accuracy.
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| 28. |
- Hössjer, Ola, et al.
(author)
-
Effective sizes and time to migration-drift equilibrium in geographically subdivided populations
- 2016
-
In: Theoretical Population Biology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0040-5809 .- 1096-0325. ; 112, s. 139-156
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Many versions of the effective population size (N-e) exist, and they are important in population genetics in order to quantify rates of change of various characteristics, such as inbreeding, heterozygosity, or allele frequencies. Traditionally, N-e was defined for single, isolated populations, but we have recently presented a mathematical framework for subdivided populations. In this paper we focus on diploid populations with geographic subdivision, and present new theoretical results. We compare the haploid and diploid versions of the inbreeding effective size (N-ei) with novel expression for the variance effective size (N-ev), and conclude that for local populations N-ev is often much smaller than both versions of Nei, whenever they exist. Global N(ev)of the metapopulation, on the other hand, is close to the haploid Net and much larger than the diploid Nei. We introduce a new effective size, the additive genetic variance effective size Neill', which is of particular interest for long term protection of species. It quantifies the rate at which additive genetic variance is lost and we show that this effective size is closely related to the haploid version of Nei. Finally, we introduce a new measure of a population's deviation from migration-drift equilibrium, and apply it to quantify the time it takes to reach this equilibrium. Our findings are of importance for understanding the concept of effective population size in substructured populations and many of the results have applications in conservation biology.
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| 29. |
- Hössjer, Ola, et al.
(author)
-
Metapopulation inbreeding dynamics, effective size and subpopulation differentiation-A general analytical approach for diploid organisms
- 2015
-
In: Theoretical Population Biology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0040-5809 .- 1096-0325. ; 102, s. 40-59
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Motivated by problems in conservation biology we study genetic dynamics in structured populations of diploid organisms (monoecious or dioecious). Our analysis provides an analytical framework that unifies substantial parts of previous work in terms of exact identity by descent (IBD) and identity by state (IBS) recursions. We provide exact conditions under which two structured haploid and diploid populations are equivalent, and some sufficient conditions under which a dioecious diploid population can be treated as a monoecious diploid one. The IBD recursions are used for computing local and metapopulation inbreeding and coancestry effective population sizes and for predictions of several types of fixation indices over different time horizons.
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| 30. |
- Jackson, Jennifer A., et al.
(author)
-
Guidelines for collecting and maintaining archives for genetic monitoring
- 2012
-
In: Conservation Genetics Resources. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1877-7252 .- 1877-7260. ; 4:2, s. 527-536
-
Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Rapid advances in molecular genetic techniques and the statistical analysis of genetic data have revolutionized the way that populations of animals, plants and microorganisms can be monitored. Genetic monitoring is the practice of using molecular genetic markers to track changes in the abundance, diversity or distribution of populations, species or ecosystems over time, and to follow adaptive and non-adaptive genetic responses to changing external conditions. In recent years, genetic monitoring has become a valuable tool in conservation management of biological diversity and ecological analysis, helping to illuminate and define cryptic and poorly understood species and populations. Many of the detected biodiversity declines, changes in distribution and hybridization events have helped to drive changes in policy and management. Because a time series of samples is necessary to detect trends of change in genetic diversity and species composition, archiving is a critical component of genetic monitoring. Here we discuss the collection, development, maintenance, and use of archives for genetic monitoring. This includes an overview of the genetic markers that facilitate effective monitoring, describes how tissue and DNA can be stored, and provides guidelines for proper practice.
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| 31. |
- Jansson, Mija, 1979-
(author)
-
Assessing inbreeding and loss of genetic variation in canids, domestic dog (Canis familiaris) and wolf (Canis lupus), using pedigree data
- 2014
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Genetic variation is necessary to maintain the ability of wild and domestic populations to genetically adapt to changed selective pressures. When relationships among individuals are known, conservation genetic management can be based on statistical pedigree analysis. Such approaches have traditionally focused on wild animal conservation breeding in captivity. In this thesis, I apply pedigree-based techniques to domestic and wild animal populations, focusing on two canids – the domestic dog and the wild wolf.Main objectives include to 1) develop a means for making any pedigree fit the input requirements of the software Population Management x (PMx) and to use this program to 2) investigate rate of inbreeding and loss of genetic variation in dog breeds, including possible correlations between recent inbreeding and health problems, 3) estimate effects on inbreeding of the 2010 hunt of the endangered Swedish wolf population, and to 4) evaluate the potential to genetically support this wolf population through cross-fostering releases of zoo bred pups from a conservation breeding program.Results include successfully developing the converter program mPed (Paper I) and applying both mPed and PMx to dog and wolf pedigrees. I found extensive loss of genetic variation and moderate rates of recent inbreeding in 26 dog breeds, but no major difference in these parameters between breeds classified as “healthy” vs. “unhealthy“ (Paper II). I found average inbreeding coefficients to more than double (from F=0.03 to 0.07) and founder genetic variation to decrease by c. 30 percent over the past few decades in traditional Swedish dog breeds identified as being of conservation concern (Paper IV). Hunting will make it less likely to reach genetically based Favourable Conservation Status criteria for the Swedish wild wolf population (Paper III), but release of zoo bred wolves through cross-fostering may potentially almost double founder genetic variation of this population (Paper V).
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| 32. |
- Jansson, Mija, et al.
(author)
-
Genetic contribution from a zoo population can increase genetic variation in the highly inbred wild Swedish wolf population
- 2015
-
In: Conservation Genetics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1566-0621 .- 1572-9737. ; 16:6, s. 1501-1505
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Swedish wolf population (Canis lupus) descends from five individuals and is isolated and highly inbred with an average inbreeding coefficient of 0.27. In addition, inbreeding depression has led to reduced litter size and a high frequency of spinal disorders. To achieve the management goal of reducing the mean level of inbreeding, introductions into the wild population from a zoo conservation breeding program have been proposed by authorities. We used pedigree data of the wild and zoo populations to evaluate the extent to which the captive population can contribute genetic variation to the wild one. We measure genetic variation as founder alleles and founder genome equivalents. The two populations have three founders in common, but in spite of this common ancestry, our results show a potential to almost double genetic variation from 11.2 to 21.1 founder alleles. Similarly, the number of founder genome equivalents in the wild population can increase from the present 1.8 to 3.2, but this requires that almost 50 % of the wild gene pool consists of genes from the zoo population. Average kinship in the joint zoo and wild population is 0.15, which is above the management target of 0.1. Genetic contribution from the zoo has the potential to improve, but not solve, the genetically precarious situation of the wild population.
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| 33. |
- Jansson, Mija, 1979-, et al.
(author)
-
Monitoring rate of inbreeding and loss of genetic variation in traditional Swedish dog breeds of conservation concern using pedigree data
-
Other publication (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Increasing conservation genetic focus is directed towards domestic animal populations because: 1) domestic animals are of direct socio-economic importance to humans, and 2) strong selective breeding for a single or a few traits are considered to rapidly deplete the genetic variability of many domestic animal populations. International policy work within the Convention on Biological Diversity identifies strategies for minimizing genetic erosion of domesticated animals as one of the key biodiversity targets for 2010-2020. We investigated recent rate of inbreeding and loss of genetic variation in 12 traditional Swedish dog breeds, 10 of which have been identified as of conservation concern by the Swedish Board of Agriculture. We used studbook data provided by the Swedish Kennel Club with pedigrees dating back to the mid 20th century and comprising 5-10 generations with 350-60,000 individuals per pedigree. We assessed levels of inbreeding and loss of genetic variation measured in relation to the number of founding animals (founder alleles) among live animals at five points in time (1980, 1990, 2000, 2006, and 2012). We found average inbreeding coefficients among breeds to double over our period of monitoring, from an average of 0.03 over breeds in 1980 to 0.07 in 2012. This is in spite of the majority of breeds being large with pedigrees comprising thousands of individuals. The loss of genetic variation is extensive with an average of 70 percent loss of founder alleles over the study period, and the proportion of founder genome equivalents in relation to the number of founders is on average only 0.09. This is comparable to previously published rates of genetic variability loss in dog breeds, indicating that the explicit conservation goals for these traditional Swedish breeds is not yet reflected in conservation genetic status. One of the breeds is particularly threatened - the Gotland hound with less than 150 living individuals, but this breed also shows comparably larger retention of genetic variation.
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| 34. |
- Jansson, Mija, 1979-, et al.
(author)
-
mPed : a computer program for converting pedigree data to a format used by the PMx-software for conservation genetic analysis
- 2013
-
In: Conservation Genetics Resources. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1877-7252 .- 1877-7260. ; 5:3, s. 651-653
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- There is a growing need for conservation genetic management of animal populations when individual relatedness data (pedigrees) are available. Such data can be used to monitor rates of inbreeding and loss of genetic diversity. Traditionally, pedigree analysis for conservationmanagement has focused on zoo populations of threatened wild animals; available software has been developed in that context. Population Management x (PMx) is a free software for estimating genetic parameters including inbreeding, kinship, founder allele contribution and survival. PMx is an accessory program to the zoo studbook platform Single Population Analysis and Records Keeping System (SPARKS) and is not easily applied outside this platform, but such use is of interest for various domestic breeds or wild populations. We developed a converter program (mPed) for making pedigrees of any studbook format fitting the input requirements of PMx. mPed can be downloaded free at www.popgen.su.se/mped.php
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| 35. |
- Jansson, Mija, et al.
(author)
-
Pedigree data indicate rapid inbreeding and loss of genetic diversity within populations of native, traditional dog breeds of conservation concern
- 2018
-
In: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 13:9
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Increasing concern is directed towards genetic diversity of domestic animal populations because strong selective breeding can rapidly deplete genetic diversity of socio-economically valuable animals. International conservation policy identifies minimizing genetic erosion of domesticated animals as a key biodiversity target. We used breeding records to assess potential indications of inbreeding and loss of founder allelic diversity in 12 native Swedish dog breeds, traditional to the country, ten of which have been identified by authorities as of conservation concern. The pedigrees dated back to the mid-1900, comprising 5-11 generations and 350-66,500 individuals per pedigree. We assessed rates of inbreeding and potential indications of loss of genetic variation by measuring inbreeding coefficients and remaining number of founder alleles at five points in time during 1980-2012. We found average inbreeding coefficients among breeds to double-from an average of 0.03 in 1980 to 0.07 in 2012 -in spite of the majority of breeds being numerically large with pedigrees comprising thousands of individuals indicating that such rapid increase of inbreeding should have been possible to avoid. We also found indications of extensive loss of intra-breed variation; on average 70 percent of founder alleles are lost during 1980-2012. Explicit conservation goals for these breeds were not reflected in pedigree based conservation genetic measures; breeding needs to focus more on retaining genetic variation, and supplementary genomic analyses of these breeds are highly warranted in order to find out the extent to which the trends indicated here are reflected over the genomes of these breeds.
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| 36. |
- Jansson, Mija, 1979-, et al.
(author)
-
Recent breeding history of dog breeds in Sweden : modest rates of inbreeding, extensive loss of genetic diversity and lack of correlation between inbreeding and health
- 2014
-
In: Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics. - : Wiley. - 0931-2668 .- 1439-0388. ; 131:2, s. 153-162
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- One problem in modern dogs is a high occurrence of physical diseases,defects and disorders. Many breeds exhibit physical problems that affectindividual dogs throughout life. A potential cause of these problems isinbreeding that is known to reduce the viability of individuals. We investigatedthe possible correlation between recent inbreeding and health problemsin dogs and used studbook data from 26 breeds provided by theSwedish Kennel Club for this purpose. The pedigrees date back to themid-20th century and comprise 5–10 generations and 1 000–50 000 individualsper pedigree over our study period of 1980–2010. We comparedlevels of inbreeding and loss of genetic variation measured in relation tothe number of founding animals during this period in the investigated dogbreeds that we classified as ‘healthy’ (11 breeds) or ‘unhealthy’ (15) basedon statistics on the extent of veterinary care obtained from Sweden’sfour largest insurance companies for pets. We found extensive loss ofgenetic variation and moderate levels of recent inbreeding in all breedsexamined, but no strong indication of a difference in these parametersbetween healthy versus unhealthy breeds over this period. Thus, recentbreeding history with respect to rate of inbreeding does not appear to be amain cause of poor health in the investigated dog breeds in Sweden. Weidentified both strengths and weaknesses of the dog pedigree data importantto consider in future work of monitoring and conserving geneticdiversity of dog breeds.
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| 37. |
- Jansson, Mija, 1979-, et al.
(author)
-
Supportive release from a zoo population by cross-fostering can significantly increase genetic variation in the highly inbred wild Swedish wolf population
-
Other publication (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The wild wolf population (Canis lupus) in Sweden is classified as Endangered and descends from only five individuals. The population is isolated and highly inbred; individuals are on average more related to each other than siblings. Inbreeding depression expressed as reduced litter size and a high frequency of spinal disorders have been reported. Management goals include reducing levels of inbreeding, and one suggestion to achieve this is through crossfostering release of pups from a zoo conservation breeding program into wild dens. We used pedigree data of the wild and zoo populations, respectively, to evaluate to what extent the zoo population can support the wild one with respect to increased genetic variation and reduction of inbreeding. The results show a potential to almost double genetic variation measured as founder alleles from 11.2 to 21.1, despite the fact that the two populations have three common founders. Potentially, the number of founder genome equivalents can be increased from present 1.8 to around 3.2. However, to achieve maximum genetic support, almost 50 percent of the wild population gene pool must consist of genes from the zoo population. Average kinship in the joint population of zoo and wild wolves is 0.15, thus release of zoo wolves cannot in itself be expected to reduce average inbreeding below the management target of 0.1. We conclude that releases from the zoo can support but not resolve the genetically precarious situation of the wild Swedish wolf population.
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| 38. |
- Jonsson, B. G., et al.
(author)
-
Skogspolitiken hotar biologiska mångfalden
- 2008
-
In: Dagens Nyheter. ; 14 april
-
Journal article (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Ledande svenska forskare varnar för att det nationella naturarvet äventyras: Vi skäms över våra beslutsfattares likgiltighet för miljön. Den svenska skogen har förvandlats till en jättelik odlingsyta. Där förr otaliga arter levde samman i harmoni dominerar numera helt gran, tall och inplanterade främmande trädslag. Denna skogsodling utgör ett hot mot den biologiska mångfalden vilket strider mot riksdagens miljökvalitetsmål. Den svenska skogspolitiken vilar officiellt på att produktion av skogsråvara och miljö är likvärdiga mål. Men i praktiken har produktionen satts i första rummet. Bortåt 2 000 skogslevande arters överlevnad hotas på grund av den förda politiken. Vi är djupt oroade och skäms över att det rika Sverige inte arbetar effektivt för att nå nationella och internationella miljömål. Det skriver 14 ledande forskare i bland annat växtekologi, ekologisk zoologi och botanik.
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| 39. |
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| 40. |
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| 41. |
- Jorde, Per Erik, et al.
(author)
-
Are we underestimating the occurrence of sympatric populations?
- 2018
-
In: Molecular Ecology. - : Wiley. - 0962-1083 .- 1365-294X. ; 27:20, s. 4011-4025
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Sympatric populations are conspecific populations that coexist spatially. They are of interest in evolutionary biology by representing the potential first steps of sympatric speciation and are important to identify and monitor in conservation management. Reviewing the literature pertaining to sympatric populations, we find that most cases of sympatry appear coupled to phenotypic divergence, implying ease of detection. In comparison, phenotypically cryptic, sympatric populations seem rarely documented. We explore the statistical power for detecting population mixtures from genetic marker data, using commonly applied tests for heterozygote deficiency (i.e., Wahlund effect) and the structure software, through computer simulations. We find that both tests are efficient at detecting population mixture only when genetic differentiation is high, sample size and number of genetic markers are reasonable and the sympatric populations happen to occur in similar proportions in the sample. We present an approximate expression based on these experimental factors for the lower limit of F-ST, beyond which power for structure collapses and only the heterozygote-deficiency tests retain some, although low, power. The findings suggest that cases of cryptic sympatry may have passed unnoticed in population genetic screenings using number of loci typical of the pre-genomics era. Hence, cryptic sympatric populations may be more common than hitherto thought, and we urge more attention being diverted to their detection and characterization.
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| 42. |
- Kershaw, Francine, et al.
(author)
-
The Coalition for Conservation Genetics : Working across organizations to build capacity and achieve change in policy and practice
- 2022
-
In: Conservation Science and Practice. - : Wiley. - 2578-4854. ; 4:4
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Coalition for Conservation Genetics (CCG) brings together four eminent organizations with the shared goal of improving the integration of genetic information into conservation policy and practice. We provide a historical context of conservation genetics as a field and reflect on current barriers to conserving genetic diversity, highlighting the need for collaboration across traditional divides, international partnerships, and coordinated advocacy. We then introduce the CCG and illustrate through examples how a coalition approach can leverage complementary expertise and improve the organizational impact at multiple levels. The CCG has proven particularly successful at implementing large synthesis-type projects, training early-career scientists, and advising policy makers. Achievements to date highlight the potential for the CCG to make effective contributions to practical conservation policy and management that no one “parent” organization could achieve on its own. Finally, we reflect on the lessons learned through forming the CCG, and our vision for the future.
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| 43. |
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| 44. |
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| 45. |
- Kurland, Sara, 1989-, et al.
(author)
-
Effects of subpopulation extinction on effective size (Ne) of metapopulations
- 2023
-
In: Conservation Genetics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1566-0621 .- 1572-9737. ; 24:4, s. 417-433
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Population extinction is ubiquitous in all taxa. Such extirpations can reduce intraspecific diversity, but the extent to which genetic diversity of surviving populations are affected remains largely unclear. A key concept in this context is the effective population size (Ne), which quantifies the rate at which genetic diversity within populations is lost. Ne was developed for single, isolated populations while many natural populations are instead connected to other populations via gene flow. Recent analytical approaches and software permit modelling of Ne of interconnected populations (metapopulations). Here, we apply such tools to investigate how extinction of subpopulations affects Ne of the metapopulation (NeMeta) and of separate surviving subpopulations (NeRx) under different rates and patterns of genetic exchange between subpopulations. We assess extinction effects before and at migration-drift equilibrium. We find that the effect of extinction on NeMeta increases with reduced connectivity, suggesting that stepping stone models of migration are more impacted than island-migration models when the same number of subpopulations are lost. Furthermore, in stepping stone models, after extinction and before a new equilibrium has been reached, NeRx can vary drastically among surviving subpopulations and depends on their initial spatial position relative to extinct ones. Our results demonstrate that extinctions can have far more complex effects on the retention of intraspecific diversity than typically recognized. Metapopulation dynamics need heightened consideration in sustainable management and conservation, e.g., in monitoring genetic diversity, and are relevant to a wide range of species in the ongoing extinction crisis.
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| 46. |
- Kurland, Sara, et al.
(author)
-
Exploring a Pool-seq-only approach for gaining population genomic insights in nonmodel species
- 2019
-
In: Ecology and Evolution. - : Wiley. - 2045-7758. ; 9, s. 11448-11463
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Developing genomic insights is challenging in nonmodel species for which resources are often scarce and prohibitively costly. Here, we explore the potential of a recently established approach using Pool-seq data to generate a de novo genome assembly for mining exons, upon which Pool-seq data are used to estimate population divergence and diversity. We do this for two pairs of sympatric populations of brown trout (Salmo trutta): one naturally sympatric set of populations and another pair of populations introduced to a common environment. We validate our approach by comparing the results to those from markers previously used to describe the populations (allozymes and individual-based single nucleotide polymorphisms [SNPs]) and from mapping the Pool-seq data to a reference genome of the closely related Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). We find that genomic differentiation (F-ST) between the two introduced populations exceeds that of the naturally sympatric populations (F-ST = 0.13 and 0.03 between the introduced and the naturally sympatric populations, respectively), in concordance with estimates from the previously used SNPs. The same level of population divergence is found for the two genome assemblies, but estimates of average nucleotide diversity differ (pi over bar approximate to 0.002 and pi over bar approximate to 0.001 when mapping to S. trutta and S. salar, respectively), although the relationships between population values are largely consistent. This discrepancy might be attributed to biases when mapping to a haploid condensed assembly made of highly fragmented read data compared to using a high-quality reference assembly from a divergent species. We conclude that the Pool-seq-only approach can be suitable for detecting and quantifying genome-wide population differentiation, and for comparing genomic diversity in populations of nonmodel species where reference genomes are lacking.
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| 47. |
- Kurland, Sara, et al.
(author)
-
Genomic dynamics of brown trout populations released to a novel environment
- 2022
-
In: Ecology and Evolution. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 2045-7758. ; 12:7
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Population translocations occur for a variety of reasons, from displacement due to climate change to human-induced transfers. Such actions have adverse effects on genetic variation and understanding their microevolutionary consequences requires monitoring. Here, we return to an experimental release of brown trout (Salmo trutta) in order to monitor the genomic effects of population translocations. In 1979, fish from each of two genetically (F-ST = 0.16) and ecologically separate populations were simultaneously released, at one point in time, to a lake system previously void of brown trout. Here, whole-genome sequencing of pooled DNA (Pool-seq) is used to characterize diversity within and divergence between the introduced populations and fish inhabiting two lakes downstream of the release sites, sampled 30 years later (c. 5 generations). Present results suggest that while extensive hybridization has occurred, the two introduced populations are unequally represented in the lakes downstream of the release sites. One population, which is ecologically resident in its original habitat, mainly contributes to the lake closest to the release site. The other population, migratory in its natal habitat, is genetically more represented in the lake further downstream. Genomic regions putatively under directional selection in the new habitat are identified, where allele frequencies in both established populations are more similar to the introduced population stemming from a resident population than the migratory one. Results suggest that the microevolutionary consequences of population translocations, for example, hybridization and adaptation, can be rapid and that Pool-seq can be used as an initial tool to monitor genome-wide effects.
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| 48. |
- Kurland, Sara, et al.
(author)
-
Genomic dynamics of brown trout (Salmo trutta) populations released to a novel environment
- 2024
-
Other publication (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Population translocations occur for a variety of reasons, from displacement due to climate change, to human-induced transfers. Such actions have adverse effects on genetic variation and understanding their microevolutionary consequences requires monitoring. Here, we return to an experimental release of brown trout (Salmo trutta) in order to monitor genomic effects of population translocations. In 1979, fish from each of two genetically and ecologically separate populations were released at one point in time to the same lake system. Whole-genome sequencing data is used to characterize diversity within and divergence between introduced fish from different source populations and fish inhabiting two lakes down-stream of the release sites, sampled 30 years later (c. 5 generations). Diversity and divergence among introduced populations and fish sampled in the wild c. 5 generations later suggest extensive hybridization. Introduced fish are unequally represented in the lakes down-stream of the release sites, with fish from one population mainly contributing to the lake closest to the release site, and the fish from the other dominating the lake further downstream. We also identify genomic regions putatively under directional selection in the new lake system, where genes from one of the introduced populations, regulating metabolism, appear advantageous. Our results demonstrate that genetic effects of population translocations e.g., establishment, hybridization, and adaptation can be rapid after release into novel environments – even for a species with relatively small local effective population sizes and a large, complex genome. This is an important contribution to understanding the microevolutionary effects population translocations have on intraspecific diversity.
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| 49. |
- Kurland, Sara, 1989-
(author)
-
Genomic dynamics over contemporary time frames in wild salmonid populations
- 2022
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Genetic diversity is the foundation of all biological variation. An approach for sustainable use and protection of genetic diversity is continuous sampling over space and time, i.e. monitoring. It is important to consider genetic changes over contemporary time frames, since most human perturbations have occurred within the last century. Modern molecular tools now enable genome-wide diversity monitoring, also in non-model species.The work included in this thesis utilizes theoretical and molecular tools to monitor genomic diversity over microevolutionary time frames using salmonid fishes as models. First, the capacity for substructured populations to retain genetic variation following population extinctions was theoretically assessed. Models of effective population size (Ne) relevant to salmonids were used. Further, spatio-temporal genetic patterns of the highly substructured brown trout (Salmo trutta) were empirically estimated. Wild populations were studied using whole-genome sequencing, primarily of pools of individuals (Pool-seq). The brown trout is characterized by a large and complex genome, and genomic resources have, until recently, been lacking. One central aim of this thesis was therefore to evaluate the benefit of using Pool-seq data for monitoring genetic diversity in this species. To this end, disparate natural populations were studied that are, in part, previously described using classic genetic markers. First, I hypothesized that a Pool-seq-only approach developed for non-model species that lack reference genomes could be used to detect population differentiation between two scenarios of coexisting populations. In a second step, two different cases of populations in the wild – one experimental release and one case of protected populations – were monitored over nearly four decades (5-6 brown trout generations) using Pool-seq data. I asked what the levels of diversity and divergence among populations are, whether changes could be detected over contemporary time and if they could be attributed to adaptation.Paper I demonstrates that the effect of extinction on the rate of diversity change in population systems is more complex than previously recognized. Diversity loss is most prominent when migration within the population system is limited, which suggests that highly substructured population systems, e.g., many salmonids, are particularly vulnerable to population extinction. The utility of Pool-seq for monitoring brown trout populations over contemporary time is demonstrated for the three different cases of brown trout populations (Papers II-IV). Paper II confirms the ability of a Pool-seq-only approach to detect subtle population differentiation. Paper III identifies genome-wide levels of hybridization between populations introduced to a new environment and signs of adaptation in genes putatively involved in metabolism. Paper IV detects significant allele frequency shifts over a limited number of generations. Potentially adaptive change is also identified, with regions containing genes possibly associated to immunity, skin pigmentation, and reproduction (Paper IV).This thesis demonstrates the benefit of modern theoretical and molecular tools for monitoring diversity in highly substructured population systems. These tools are relevant for advancing population genetic knowledge, as well as for sustainable management and conservation of a wide range of species.
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- Kurland, Sara, 1989-, et al.
(author)
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New indicators for monitoring genetic diversity applied to alpine brown trout populations using whole genome sequence data
- 2024
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In: Molecular Ecology. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0962-1083 .- 1365-294X. ; 33:2
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- International policy recently adopted commitments to maintain genetic diversity in wild populations to secure their adaptive potential, including metrics to monitor temporal trends in genetic diversity – so-called indicators. A national programme for assessing trends in genetic diversity was recently initiated in Sweden. Relating to this effort, we systematically assess contemporary genome-wide temporal trends (40 years) in wild populations using the newly adopted indicators and whole genome sequencing (WGS). We use pooled and individual WGS data from brown trout (Salmo trutta) in eight alpine lakes in protected areas. Observed temporal trends in diversity metrics (nucleotide diversity, Watterson's ϴ and heterozygosity) lie within proposed acceptable threshold values for six of the lakes, but with consistently low values in lakes above the tree line and declines observed in these northern-most lakes. Local effective population size is low in all lakes, highlighting the importance of continued protection of interconnected systems to allow genetic connectivity for long-term viability of these populations. Inbreeding (FROH) spans 10%–30% and is mostly represented by ancient (<1 Mb) runs of homozygosity, with observations of little change in mutational load. We also investigate adaptive dynamics over evolutionarily short time frames (a few generations); identifying putative parallel selection across all lakes within a gene pertaining to skin pigmentation as well as candidates of selection unique to specific lakes and lake systems involved in reproduction and immunity. We demonstrate the utility of WGS for systematic monitoring of natural populations, a priority concern if genetic diversity is to be protected.
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