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Harbor porpoise losing its edges: genetic time series suggests a rapid population decline in Iberian waters over the last 30 years

Harbor porpoise losing its edges: genetic time series suggests a rapid population decline in Iberian waters over the last 30 years

Authors :
Yacine Ben Chehida
Catarina Eira
Andreia T. Pereira
Lídia Nicolau
Marisa Ferreira
Michael C. Fontaine
Tjibbe Stelwagen
Jeroen P. A. Hoekendijk
Julie Thumloup
Diversity, ecology, evolution & Adaptation of arthropod vectors (MIVEGEC-DEEVA)
Evolution des Systèmes Vectoriels (ESV)
Maladies infectieuses et vecteurs : écologie, génétique, évolution et contrôle (MIVEGEC)
Université de Montpellier (UM)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD [France-Sud])-Université de Montpellier (UM)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD [France-Sud])-Maladies infectieuses et vecteurs : écologie, génétique, évolution et contrôle (MIVEGEC)
Université de Montpellier (UM)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD [France-Sud])-Université de Montpellier (UM)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD [France-Sud])
Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences [Groningen] (GELIFES)
University of Groningen [Groningen]
Publication Year :
2021
Publisher :
HAL CCSD, 2021.

Abstract

Impact of climate changes on species is expected to be especially visible at the extremities of the species distribution, where they meet sub-optimal conditions. In Mauritania and Iberia, two genetically isolated populations of harbor porpoises form a distinct ecotype and are presumably locally adapted to the upwelling waters. By analyzing the evolution of mitochondrial genetic variation in the Iberian population between two temporal cohorts (1990-2002 vs. 2012-2015), we report a dramatic decrease in genetic diversity. Phylogenetic analyses including neighboring populations identified two porpoises in southern Iberia carrying a divergent haplotype close to the Mauritanian population, yet forming a distinctive lineage. This suggests that Iberian porpoises may not be as isolated as previously thought with immigration from Mauritania or an unknown population in between, but none from the northern ecotype. The rapid decline in the Iberian mitochondrial diversity may be driven by either genetic drift, or by a dramatic decline in census population size possibly resulting from environmental stochasticity, prey depletion, or acute fishery bycatches. These results illustrate the value of genetics time series to inform demographic trends and emphasize the urgent need for conservation measures to ensure the viability of this small harbor porpoise population in Iberia.

Details

Language :
English
Database :
OpenAIRE
Accession number :
edsair.doi.dedup.....ccbf2689e4a7ade1e162325fa38811e0