ORCID Profile
0000-0002-4575-1487
Current Organisation
University of Zurich
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Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 16-03-2023
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 03-2022
DOI: 10.1002/ECE3.8739
Abstract: Aldabrachelys gigantea (Aldabra giant tortoise) is one of only two giant tortoise species left in the world and survives as a single wild population of over 100,000 in iduals on Aldabra Atoll, Seychelles. Despite this large current population size, the species faces an uncertain future because of its extremely restricted distribution range and high vulnerability to the projected consequences of climate change. Captive‐bred A . gigantea are increasingly used in rewilding programs across the region, where they are introduced to replace extinct giant tortoises in an attempt to functionally resurrect degraded island ecosystems. However, there has been little consideration of the current levels of genetic variation and differentiation within and among the islands on Aldabra. As previous microsatellite studies were inconclusive, we combined low‐coverage and double‐digest restriction‐associated DNA (ddRAD) sequencing to analyze s les from 33 tortoises (11 from each main island). Using 5426 variant sites within the tortoise genome, we detected patterns of within‐island population structure, but no differentiation between the islands. These unexpected results highlight the importance of using genome‐wide genetic markers to capture higher‐resolution genetic structure to inform future management plans, even in a seemingly panmictic population. We show that low‐coverage ddRAD sequencing provides an affordable alternative approach to conservation genomic projects of non‐model species with large genomes.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 12-06-2019
DOI: 10.1038/S41598-019-44996-5
Abstract: Genetic isolation of populations over evolutionary time leads to the formation of independent species. We examined a pair of shorebirds – the Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus and the enigmatic White-faced Plover C. dealbatus – which display strong plumage differentiation, yet show minimal genetic ergence based on previous mitochondrial and microsatellite work. Two scenarios may lead to this situation: (1) they represent clinal or poorly erged populations with limited genomic differentiation despite substantial plumage variation, or (2) they are erging taxa at the cusp of speciation, with ongoing limited gene flow obliterating signals of differentiation in traditional genetic markers. We compared the genotypes of 98 plovers (59 Kentish Plovers, 35 White-faced Plovers and 4 genomic hybrids) s led in eastern Asia and Europe using ddRADSeq to harvest over 8000 genome-wide SNPs. In contrast to previous studies, our analyses revealed two well defined genomic clusters, with limited hybridization and a narrow contact zone. We also uncovered significant differences in bill length and further sex-specific differences in size, which may signal differences in mate choice between Kentish and White-faced Plovers. Our results support the hypothesis that this shorebird duo is on the verge of speciation.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 03-12-2019
DOI: 10.1038/S41598-019-54715-9
Abstract: Intracontinental biotic isions across the vast Palaearctic region are not well-characterized. Past research has revealed patterns ranging from a lack of population structure to deep ergences along varied lines of separation. Here we compared biogeographic patterns of two Palaearctic shorebirds with different habitat preferences, Whimbrel ( Numenius phaeopus ) and Eurasian curlew ( N. arquata ). Using genome-wide markers from populations across the Palaearctic, we applied a multitude of population genomic and phylogenomic approaches to elucidate population structure. Most importantly, we tested for isolation by distance and visualized barriers and corridors to gene flow. We found shallow Palaearctic population structure in subpolar bog and tundra-breeding whimbrels, consistent with other species breeding at a similarly high latitude, indicating connectivity across the tundra belt, both presently and during southward shifts in periods of global cooling. In contrast, the temperate grassland-breeding Eurasian curlew emerged in three distinct clades corresponding to glacial refugia. Barriers to gene flow coincided with areas of topographic relief in the central Palaearctic for whimbrels and further east for Eurasian curlews. Our findings highlight the interplay of historic and ecological factors in influencing present-day population structure of Palaearctic biota.
No related grants have been discovered for F. Gözde Çilingir.