Genetic diversity and shallow genetic differentiation of the endangered scaly‐sided merganser Mergus squamatus
Abstract Examining patterns of genetic diversity are crucial for conservation planning on endangered species, while inferring the underlying process of recent anthropogenic habitat modifications in the context potential long‐term demographic changes remains challenging. The globally endangered scaly...
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Wiley
2024-07-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70011 |
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| author | Yulong Shen Ye Gong Diana Solovyeva Lin Wang Mu Li Mengxuan Hu Yiwei Jiang Sergey Vartanyan Haitao Wang |
| author_facet | Yulong Shen Ye Gong Diana Solovyeva Lin Wang Mu Li Mengxuan Hu Yiwei Jiang Sergey Vartanyan Haitao Wang |
| author_sort | Yulong Shen |
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| description | Abstract Examining patterns of genetic diversity are crucial for conservation planning on endangered species, while inferring the underlying process of recent anthropogenic habitat modifications in the context potential long‐term demographic changes remains challenging. The globally endangered scaly‐sided merganser (SSME), Mergus squamatus, is endemic to a narrow range in Northeast Asia, and its population has recently been contracted into two main breeding areas. Although low genetic diversity has been suggested in the Russian population, the genetic status and demographic history of these individuals have not been fully elucidated. We therefore examined the genetic diversity and structure of the breeding populations of the SSME and investigated the relative importance of historical and recent demographic changes to the present‐day pattern of genetic diversity. Using 10 nuclear microsatellite (SSR) markers and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region sequences, we found limited female‐inherited genetic diversity and a high level of nuclear genetic diversity. In addition, analysis of both markers consistently revealed significant but weak divergence between the breeding populations. Inconsistent demographic history parameters calculated from mtDNA and bottleneck analysis results based on SSR suggested a stable historical effective population size. By applying approximate Bayesian computation, it was estimated that populations started to genetically diverge from each other due to recent fragmentation events caused by anthropogenic effects rather than isolation during Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and post‐LGM recolonization. These results suggest that limited historical population size and shallow evolutionary history may be potential factors contributing to the contemporary genetic diversity pattern of breeding SSME populations. Conservation efforts should focus on protecting the current breeding habitats from further destruction, with priority given to both the Russian and Chinese population, as well as restoring the connected suitable breeding grounds. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7baff4ec21e543068a047fc53496ff6b |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-07-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
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| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj-art-7baff4ec21e543068a047fc53496ff6b2025-08-20T03:31:42ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582024-07-01147n/an/a10.1002/ece3.70011Genetic diversity and shallow genetic differentiation of the endangered scaly‐sided merganser Mergus squamatusYulong Shen0Ye Gong1Diana Solovyeva2Lin Wang3Mu Li4Mengxuan Hu5Yiwei Jiang6Sergey Vartanyan7Haitao Wang8School of Life Sciences Northeast Normal University Changchun ChinaSchool of Life Sciences Northeast Normal University Changchun ChinaInstitute of Biological Problems of the North FEB RAS Magadan RussiaNortheast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Changchun ChinaSchool of Life Sciences Northeast Normal University Changchun ChinaSchool of Life Sciences Northeast Normal University Changchun ChinaSchool of Life Sciences Northeast Normal University Changchun ChinaNorth‐East Interdisciplinary Scientific Research Institute n. a. N. A. Shilo, Far East Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences Magadan RussiaSchool of Life Sciences Northeast Normal University Changchun ChinaAbstract Examining patterns of genetic diversity are crucial for conservation planning on endangered species, while inferring the underlying process of recent anthropogenic habitat modifications in the context potential long‐term demographic changes remains challenging. The globally endangered scaly‐sided merganser (SSME), Mergus squamatus, is endemic to a narrow range in Northeast Asia, and its population has recently been contracted into two main breeding areas. Although low genetic diversity has been suggested in the Russian population, the genetic status and demographic history of these individuals have not been fully elucidated. We therefore examined the genetic diversity and structure of the breeding populations of the SSME and investigated the relative importance of historical and recent demographic changes to the present‐day pattern of genetic diversity. Using 10 nuclear microsatellite (SSR) markers and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region sequences, we found limited female‐inherited genetic diversity and a high level of nuclear genetic diversity. In addition, analysis of both markers consistently revealed significant but weak divergence between the breeding populations. Inconsistent demographic history parameters calculated from mtDNA and bottleneck analysis results based on SSR suggested a stable historical effective population size. By applying approximate Bayesian computation, it was estimated that populations started to genetically diverge from each other due to recent fragmentation events caused by anthropogenic effects rather than isolation during Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and post‐LGM recolonization. These results suggest that limited historical population size and shallow evolutionary history may be potential factors contributing to the contemporary genetic diversity pattern of breeding SSME populations. Conservation efforts should focus on protecting the current breeding habitats from further destruction, with priority given to both the Russian and Chinese population, as well as restoring the connected suitable breeding grounds.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70011conservationgenetic diversityMergus squamatusmicrosatellitesmtDNApopulation structure |
| spellingShingle | Yulong Shen Ye Gong Diana Solovyeva Lin Wang Mu Li Mengxuan Hu Yiwei Jiang Sergey Vartanyan Haitao Wang Genetic diversity and shallow genetic differentiation of the endangered scaly‐sided merganser Mergus squamatus Ecology and Evolution conservation genetic diversity Mergus squamatus microsatellites mtDNA population structure |
| title | Genetic diversity and shallow genetic differentiation of the endangered scaly‐sided merganser Mergus squamatus |
| title_full | Genetic diversity and shallow genetic differentiation of the endangered scaly‐sided merganser Mergus squamatus |
| title_fullStr | Genetic diversity and shallow genetic differentiation of the endangered scaly‐sided merganser Mergus squamatus |
| title_full_unstemmed | Genetic diversity and shallow genetic differentiation of the endangered scaly‐sided merganser Mergus squamatus |
| title_short | Genetic diversity and shallow genetic differentiation of the endangered scaly‐sided merganser Mergus squamatus |
| title_sort | genetic diversity and shallow genetic differentiation of the endangered scaly sided merganser mergus squamatus |
| topic | conservation genetic diversity Mergus squamatus microsatellites mtDNA population structure |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70011 |
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