1
|
Miner T. The African Leopard, Panthera Pardus. Wilderness Environ Med 2024:10806032241248625. [PMID: 38767176 DOI: 10.1177/10806032241248625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Todd Miner
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Ithaca, NY
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Mitchell C, Bolam J, Bertola LD, Naude VN, Gonçalves da Silva L, Razgour O. Leopard subspecies conservation under climate and land-use change. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11391. [PMID: 38779533 PMCID: PMC11109047 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Predicting the effects of global environmental changes on species distribution is a top conservation priority, particularly for large carnivores, that contribute to regulating and maintaining ecosystems. As the most widespread and adaptable large felid, ranging across Africa and Asia, leopards are crucial to many ecosystems as both keystone and umbrella species, yet they are threatened across their ranges. We used intraspecific species distribution models (SDMs) to predict changes in range suitability for leopards under future climate and land-use change and identify conservation gaps and opportunities. We generated intraspecific SDMs for the three western leopard subspecies, the African, Panthera pardus pardus; Arabian, Panthera pardus nimr; and Persian, Panthera pardus tulliana, leopards, and overlapped predictions with protected areas (PAs) coverage. We show that leopard subspecies differ in their environmental associations and vulnerability to future changes. The African and Arabian leopards are predicted to lose ~25% and ~14% of their currently suitable range, respectively, while the Persian leopard is predicted to experience ~12% range gains. We found that most areas predicted to be suitable were not protected, with only 4%-16% of the subspecies' ranges falling inside PAs, and that these proportions will decrease in the future. The highly variable responses we found between leopard subspecies highlight the importance of considering intraspecific variation when modelling vulnerability to climate and land-use changes. The predicted decrease in proportion of suitable ranges falling inside PAs threatens global capacity to effectively conserve leopards because survival rates are substantially lower outside PAs due to persecution. Hence, it is important to work with local communities to address negative human-wildlife interactions and to restore habitats to retain landscape connectivity where PA coverage is low. On the other hand, the predicted increase in range suitability across southern Europe presents opportunities for expansion outside of their contemporary range, capitalising on European rewilding schemes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Vincent N. Naude
- Department of Conservation Ecology and EntomologyStellenbosch UniversityMatielandSouth Africa
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
3
|
Morris DR, McWhorter TJ, Boardman WSJ, Simpson G, Wentzel J, Coetzee J, Moodley Y. Unravelling the maternal evolutionary history of the African leopard ( Panthera pardus pardus). PeerJ 2024; 12:e17018. [PMID: 38618571 PMCID: PMC11016244 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024] Open
Abstract
The African leopard (Panthera pardus pardus) has lost a significant proportion of its historical range, notably in north-western Africa and South Africa. Recent studies have explored the genetic diversity and population structure of African leopards across the continent. A notable genetic observation is the presence of two divergent mitochondrial lineages, PAR-I and PAR-II. Both lineages appeared to be distributed widely, with PAR-II frequently found in southern Africa. Until now, no study has attempted to date the emergence of either lineage, assess haplotype distribution, or explore their evolutionary histories in any detail. To investigate these underappreciated questions, we compiled the largest and most geographically representative leopard data set of the mitochondrial NADH-5 gene to date. We combined samples (n = 33) collected in an altitudinal transect across the Mpumalanga province of South Africa, where two populations of leopard are known to be in genetic contact, with previously published sequences of African leopard (n = 211). We estimate that the maternal PAR-I and PAR-II lineages diverged approximately 0.7051 (0.4477-0.9632) million years ago (Ma). Through spatial and demographic analyses, we show that while PAR-I underwent a mid-Pleistocene population expansion resulting in several closely related haplotypes with little geographic structure across much of its range, PAR-II remained at constant size and may even have declined slightly in the last 0.1 Ma. The higher genetic drift experienced within PAR-II drove a greater degree of structure with little haplotype sharing and unique haplotypes in central Africa, the Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and the South African Highveld. The phylogeographic structure of PAR-II, with its increasing frequency southward and its exclusive occurrence in south-eastern South Africa, suggests that this lineage may have been isolated in South Africa during the mid-Pleistocene. This hypothesis is supported by historical changes in paleoclimate that promoted intense aridification around the Limpopo Basin between 1.0-0.6 Ma, potentially reducing gene flow and promoting genetic drift. Interestingly, we ascertained that the two nuclear DNA populations identified by a previous study as East and West Mpumalanga correspond to PAR-I and PAR-II, respectively, and that they have come into secondary contact in the Lowveld region of South Africa. Our results suggest a subdivision of African leopard mtDNA into two clades, with one occurring almost exclusively in South Africa, and we identify the potential environmental drivers of this observed structure. We caution that our results are based on a single mtDNA locus, but it nevertheless provides a hypothesis that can be further tested with a dense sample of nuclear DNA data, preferably whole genomes. If our interpretation holds true, it would provide the first genetic explanation for the smaller observed size of leopards at the southernmost end of their range in Africa.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Declan R. Morris
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, South Australia, Australia
| | - Todd J. McWhorter
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, South Australia, Australia
| | - Wayne S. J. Boardman
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, South Australia, Australia
| | - Gregory Simpson
- Department of Wildlife Studies, Faculty of Veterinary of Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - Jeanette Wentzel
- Department of Wildlife Studies, Faculty of Veterinary of Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, Gauteng, South Africa
- Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Hans Hoheisen Wildlife Research Station, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - Jannie Coetzee
- Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency, Nelspruit, Mpumalanga, South Africa
| | - Yoshan Moodley
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Venda, Thohoyandou, Limpopo, South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Lescroart J, Bonilla-Sánchez A, Napolitano C, Buitrago-Torres DL, Ramírez-Chaves HE, Pulido-Santacruz P, Murphy WJ, Svardal H, Eizirik E. Extensive Phylogenomic Discordance and the Complex Evolutionary History of the Neotropical Cat Genus Leopardus. Mol Biol Evol 2023; 40:msad255. [PMID: 37987559 PMCID: PMC10701098 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msad255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Even in the genomics era, the phylogeny of Neotropical small felids comprised in the genus Leopardus remains contentious. We used whole-genome resequencing data to construct a time-calibrated consensus phylogeny of this group, quantify phylogenomic discordance, test for interspecies introgression, and assess patterns of genetic diversity and demographic history. We infer that the Leopardus radiation started in the Early Pliocene as an initial speciation burst, followed by another in its subgenus Oncifelis during the Early Pleistocene. Our findings challenge the long-held notion that ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) and margay (L. wiedii) are sister species and instead indicate that margay is most closely related to the enigmatic Andean cat (L. jacobita), whose whole-genome data are reported here for the first time. In addition, we found that the newly sampled Andean tiger cat (L. tigrinus pardinoides) population from Colombia associates closely with Central American tiger cats (L. tigrinus oncilla). Genealogical discordance was largely attributable to incomplete lineage sorting, yet was augmented by strong gene flow between ocelot and the ancestral branch of Oncifelis, as well as between Geoffroy's cat (L. geoffroyi) and southern tiger cat (L. guttulus). Contrasting demographic trajectories have led to disparate levels of current genomic diversity, with a nearly tenfold difference in heterozygosity between Andean cat and ocelot, spanning the entire range of variability found in extant felids. Our analyses improved our understanding of the speciation history and diversity patterns in this felid radiation, and highlight the benefits to phylogenomic inference of embracing the many heterogeneous signals scattered across the genome.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Lescroart
- Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Alejandra Bonilla-Sánchez
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences, University of Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Constanza Napolitano
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biodiversity, University of Los Lagos, Osorno, Chile
- Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity, Concepción, Chile
- Cape Horn International Center, Puerto Williams, Chile
- Andean Cat Alliance, Villa Carlos Paz, Argentina
| | - Diana L Buitrago-Torres
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Héctor E Ramírez-Chaves
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Caldas, Manizales, Colombia
- Centro de Museos, Museo de Historia Natural, University of Caldas, Manizales, Colombia
| | | | - William J Murphy
- Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
- Interdisciplinary Program in Genetics & Genomics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Hannes Svardal
- Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Eduardo Eizirik
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Instituto Pró-Carnívoros, Atibaia, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Mochales-Riaño G, Fontsere C, de Manuel M, Talavera A, Burriel-Carranza B, Tejero-Cicuéndez H, AlGethami RHM, Shobrak M, Marques-Bonet T, Carranza S. Genomics reveals introgression and purging of deleterious mutations in the Arabian leopard ( Panthera pardus nimr). iScience 2023; 26:107481. [PMID: 37601769 PMCID: PMC10432787 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
In endangered species, low-genetic variation and inbreeding result from recent population declines. Genetic screenings in endangered populations help to assess their vulnerability to extinction and to create informed management actions toward their conservation efforts. The leopard, Panthera pardus, is a highly generalist predator with currently eight different subspecies. Yet, genomic data are still lacking for the Critically Endangered Arabian leopard (P. p. nimr). Here, we sequenced the whole genome of two Arabian leopards and assembled the most complete genomic dataset for leopards to date. Our phylogenomic analyses show that leopards are divided into two deeply divergent clades: the African and the Asian. Conservation genomic analyses indicate a prolonged population decline, which has led to an increase in inbreeding and runs of homozygosity, with consequent purging of deleterious mutations in both Arabian individuals. Our study represents the first attempt to genetically inform captive breeding programmes for this Critically Endangered subspecies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Claudia Fontsere
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain
- Center for Evolutionary Hologenomics, The Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 5A, 1352 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Marc de Manuel
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Adrián Talavera
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Héctor Tejero-Cicuéndez
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Raed Hamoud M. AlGethami
- National Center for Wildlife, Prince Saud Al-Faisal for Wildlife Research, P. O Box 1086, Taif, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammed Shobrak
- National Center for Wildlife, Prince Saud Al-Faisal for Wildlife Research, P. O Box 1086, Taif, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
| | - Tomas Marques-Bonet
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain
- CNAG-CRG, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
- Catalan Institution of Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Salvador Carranza
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Barcelona, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Sooriyabandara MGC, Bandaranayake AU, Hathurusinghe HABM, Jayasundara SM, Marasinghe MSRRP, Prasad GAT, Abeywardana VPMK, Pinidiya MA, Nilanthi RMR, Bandaranayake PCG. A unique single nucleotide polymorphism in Agouti Signalling Protein (ASIP) gene changes coat colour of Sri Lankan leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya) to dark black. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0269967. [PMID: 37440497 PMCID: PMC10343082 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The Sri Lankan leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya) is an endangered subspecies restricted to isolated and fragmented populations in Sri Lanka. Among them, melanistic leopards have been recorded on a few occasions. Literature suggests the evolution of melanism several times in the Felidae family, with three species having distinct mutations. Nevertheless, the mutations or other variations in the remaining species, including Sri Lankan melanistic leopard, are unknown. We used reference-based assembled nuclear genomes of Sri Lankan wild type and melanistic leopards and de novo assembled mitogenomes of the same to investigate the genetic basis, adaptive significance, and evolutionary history of the Sri Lankan melanistic leopard. Interestingly, we identified a single nucleotide polymorphism in exon-4 Sri Lankan melanistic leopard, which may completely ablate Agouti Signalling Protein (ASIP) function. The wild type leopards in Sri Lanka did not carry this mutation, suggesting the cause for the occurrence of melanistic leopords in the population. Comparative analysis of existing genomic data in the literature suggests it as a P. p. kotiya specific mutation and a novel mutation in the ASIP-gene of the Felidae family, contributing to naturally occurring colour polymorphism. Our data suggested the coalescence time of Sri Lankan leopards at ~0.5 million years, sisters to the Panthera pardus lineage. The genetic diversity was low in Sri Lankan leopards. Further, the P. p. kotiya melanistic leopard is a different morphotype of the P. p. kotiya wildtype leopard resulting from the mutation in the ASIP-gene. The ability of black leopards to camouflage, along with the likelihood of recurrence and transfer to future generations, suggests that this rare mutation could be environment-adaptable.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - A. U. Bandaranayake
- Department of Computer Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
| | - H. A. B. M. Hathurusinghe
- Agricultural Biotechnology Centre, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
| | - S. M. Jayasundara
- Agricultural Biotechnology Centre, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
| | | | - G. A. T. Prasad
- Department of Wildlife Conservation, Battaramulla, Sri Lanka
| | | | - M. A. Pinidiya
- Department of Wildlife Conservation, Battaramulla, Sri Lanka
| | | | - P. C. G. Bandaranayake
- Agricultural Biotechnology Centre, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Kessler C, Wootton E, Shafer ABA. Speciation without gene-flow in hybridizing deer. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:1117-1132. [PMID: 36516402 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Under the ecological speciation model, divergent selection acts on ecological differences between populations, gradually creating barriers to gene flow and ultimately leading to reproductive isolation. Hybridisation is part of this continuum and can both promote and inhibit the speciation process. Here, we used white-tailed (Odocoileus virginianus) and mule deer (O. hemionus) to investigate patterns of speciation in hybridizing sister species. We quantified genome-wide historical introgression and performed genome scans to look for signatures of four different selection scenarios. Despite ample modern evidence of hybridisation, we found negligible patterns of ancestral introgression and no signatures of divergence with gene flow, rather localized patterns of allopatric and balancing selection were detected across the genome. Genes under balancing selection were related to immunity, MHC and sensory perception of smell, the latter of which is consistent with deer biology. The deficiency of historical gene-flow suggests that white-tailed and mule deer were spatially separated during the glaciation cycles of the Pleistocene and genome wide differentiation accrued via genetic drift. Dobzhansky-Muller incompatibilities and selection against hybrids are hypothesised to be acting, and diversity correlations to recombination rates suggests these sister species are far along the speciation continuum.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Camille Kessler
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
| | - Eric Wootton
- Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
| | - Aaron B A Shafer
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Armstrong EE, Campana MG, Solari KA, Morgan SR, Ryder OA, Naude VN, Samelius G, Sharma K, Hadly EA, Petrov DA. Genome report: chromosome-level draft assemblies of the snow leopard, African leopard, and tiger (Panthera uncia, Panthera pardus pardus, and Panthera tigris). G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2022; 12:jkac277. [PMID: 36250809 PMCID: PMC9713438 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkac277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
The big cats (genus Panthera) represent some of the most popular and charismatic species on the planet. Although some reference genomes are available for this clade, few are at the chromosome level, inhibiting high-resolution genomic studies. We assembled genomes from 3 members of the genus, the tiger (Panthera tigris), the snow leopard (Panthera uncia), and the African leopard (Panthera pardus pardus), at chromosome or near-chromosome level. We used a combination of short- and long-read technologies, as well as proximity ligation data from Hi-C technology, to achieve high continuity and contiguity for each individual. We hope that these genomes will aid in further evolutionary and conservation research of this iconic group of mammals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ellie E Armstrong
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Biology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | - Michael G Campana
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park and Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC 20008, USA
| | | | - Simon R Morgan
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Wildlife ACT Fund Trust, Cape Town 8001, South Africa
| | - Oliver A Ryder
- San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Beckman Center for Conservation Research, San Diego, CA 92027, USA
| | - Vincent N Naude
- Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, 7602, South Africa
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2000, South Africa
| | | | - Koustubh Sharma
- Snow Leopard Trust, Seattle, WA 98103, USA
- Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysore 570 017, India
| | | | - Dmitri A Petrov
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Hempel E, Bibi F, Faith JT, Koepfli KP, Klittich AM, Duchêne DA, Brink JS, Kalthoff DC, Dalén L, Hofreiter M, Westbury MV. Blue Turns to Gray: Paleogenomic Insights into the Evolutionary History and Extinction of the Blue Antelope (Hippotragus leucophaeus). Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:6794086. [PMID: 36322483 PMCID: PMC9750129 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 09/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
The blue antelope (Hippotragus leucophaeus) is the only large African mammal species to have become extinct in historical times, yet no nuclear genomic information is available for this species. A recent study showed that many alleged blue antelope museum specimens are either roan (Hippotragus equinus) or sable (Hippotragus niger) antelopes, further reducing the possibilities for obtaining genomic information for this extinct species. While the blue antelope has a rich fossil record from South Africa, climatic conditions in the region are generally unfavorable to the preservation of ancient DNA. Nevertheless, we recovered two blue antelope draft genomes, one at 3.4× mean coverage from a historical specimen (∼200 years old) and one at 2.1× mean coverage from a fossil specimen dating to 9,800-9,300 cal years BP, making it currently the oldest paleogenome from Africa. Phylogenomic analyses show that blue and sable antelope are sister species, confirming previous mitogenomic results, and demonstrate ancient gene flow from roan into blue antelope. We show that blue antelope genomic diversity was much lower than in roan and sable antelope, indicative of a low population size since at least the early Holocene. This supports observations from the fossil record documenting major decreases in the abundance of blue antelope after the Pleistocene-Holocene transition. Finally, the persistence of this species throughout the Holocene despite low population size suggests that colonial-era human impact was likely the decisive factor in the blue antelope's extinction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Faysal Bibi
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Invalidenstraße 43, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - J Tyler Faith
- Natural History Museum of Utah, University of Utah, 301 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84108,Department of Anthropology, University of Utah, 260 South Central Campus Drive, Salt Lake City, UT 84112,Origins Centre, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa
| | - Klaus-Peter Koepfli
- Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation, George Mason University, Front Royal, VA 22630,Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC, 20008, USA
| | - Achim M Klittich
- Evolutionary Adaptive Genomics, Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, Department of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - David A Duchêne
- Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 5-7, Copenhagen, Denmark,Centre for Evolutionary Hologenomics, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 1352, Denmark
| | | | - Daniela C Kalthoff
- Swedish Museum of Natural History, Department of Zoology, Box 50007, 10405 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Love Dalén
- Swedish Museum of Natural History, Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Box 50007, 10405 Stockholm, Sweden,Centre for Palaeogenetics, Svante Arrhenius väg 20c, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden,Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
10
|
O'Brien SJ. A decade of GigaScience: A perspective on conservation genetics. Gigascience 2022; 11:6608501. [PMID: 35701371 PMCID: PMC9197679 DOI: 10.1093/gigascience/giac055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Wide interest in species conservation is young. To many it began early in 1903 when Teddy Roosevelt and John Muir set up a camp under the Grizzly Giant in the Mariposa Grove of California's Yosemite Valley. Over three days they decided to broaden the US National Park footprint across the USA. Conservationists were inspired in the coming decades by the writings of wildlife conservation pioneers-Osa Johnson (I Married Adventure), Karen Blixen (Out of Africa) and Rachel Carson (The Silent Spring). Countless crusaders developed a passion for preserving dwindling species in those early days, yet none of these conservation advocates mentioned the word genetics, let alone genomics. The genome sequencing projects that have followed on from these have brought in an enormous amount of data, including whole genome sequences for thousands of non-human species, both individual and population wide. This huge resource has revolutionized conservation genetics, bringing in ways to assess the health of at-risk populations, devise genetic-driven breeding strategies, and other means to attempt to preserve the over 1 million species (and growing) under threat today.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stephen J O'Brien
- Halmos College of Arts and Sciences, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida 33004, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Ramirez JL, Lescroart J, Figueiró HV, Torres-Florez JP, Villela PMS, Coutinho LL, Freitas PD, Johnson WE, Antunes A, Galetti PM, Eizirik E. Genomic signatures of divergent ecological strategies in a recent radiation of Neotropical wild cats. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:6594307. [PMID: 35639983 PMCID: PMC9189605 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecological differentiation among diverging species is an important component of the evolutionary process and can be investigated in rapid and recent radiations. Here we use whole genome sequences of five species from the genus Leopardus, a recently diversified Neotropical lineage with species bearing distinctive morphological, ecological and behavioral features, to investigate genome-wide diversity, comparative demographic history and signatures of positive selection. Our results show that divergent ecological strategies are reflected in genomic features, e.g. a generalist species shows historically larger effective population size and higher heterozygosity than habitat specialists. The demographic history of these cats seems to have been jointly driven by climate fluctuations and habitat specialization, with different ecological adaptations leading to distinct trajectories. Finally, a gene involved in vertebrate retinal neurogenesis (POU4F2) was found to be under positive selection in the margay, a cat with notoriously large eyes that are likely associated with its nocturnal and arboreal specializations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jorge L Ramirez
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Peru
| | - Jonas Lescroart
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Henrique V Figueiró
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Front Royal, USA
| | - Juan Pablo Torres-Florez
- Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade/Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Mamíferos Aquáticos (ICMBio/CMA), Santos, Brazil
| | | | - Luiz L Coutinho
- Centro de Genômica Funcional, Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, Brazil
| | - Patricia D Freitas
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Warren E Johnson
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Agostinho Antunes
- CIIMAR/CIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, Porto, Portugal.,Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Pedro M Galetti
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Eizirik
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Instituto Pró-Carnívoros, Atibaia, SP, Brazil.,INCT-EECBio, Goiânia, GO, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Lan T, Fang D, Li H, Sahu SK, Wang Q, Yuan H, Zhu Y, Yang Z, Zhang L, Yang S, Lu H, Han L, Zhang S, Yu J, Mahmmod YS, Xu Y, Hua Y, He F, Yuan Z, Liu H. Chromosome-Scale Genome of Masked Palm Civet (Paguma larvata) Shows Genomic Signatures of Its Biological Characteristics and Evolution. Front Genet 2022; 12:819493. [PMID: 35126472 PMCID: PMC8815822 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.819493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The masked palm civet (Paguma larvata) is a small carnivore with distinct biological characteristics, that likes an omnivorous diet and also serves as a vector of pathogens. Although this species is not an endangered animal, its population is reportedly declining. Since the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic in 2003, the public has been particularly concerned about this species. Here, we present the first genome of the P. larvata, comprising 22 chromosomes assembled using single-tube long fragment read (stLFR) and Hi-C technologies. The genome length is 2.41 Gb with a scaffold N50 of 105.6 Mb. We identified the 107.13 Mb X chromosome and one 1.34 Mb Y-linked scaffold and validated them by resequencing 45 P. larvata individuals. We predicted 18,340 protein-coding genes, among which 18,333 genes were functionally annotated. Interestingly, several biological pathways related to immune defenses were found to be significantly expanded. Also, more than 40% of the enriched pathways on the positively selected genes (PSGs) were identified to be closely related to immunity and survival. These enriched gene families were inferred to be essential for the P. larvata for defense against the pathogens. However, we did not find a direct genomic basis for its adaptation to omnivorous diet despite multiple attempts of comparative genomic analysis. In addition, we evaluated the susceptibility of the P. larvata to the SARS-CoV-2 by screening the RNA expression of the ACE2 and TMPRSS2/TMPRSS4 genes in 16 organs. Finally, we explored the genome-wide heterozygosity and compared it with other animals to evaluate the population status of this species. Taken together, this chromosome-scale genome of the P. larvata provides a necessary resource and insights for understanding the genetic basis of its biological characteristics, evolution, and disease transmission control.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tianming Lan
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Dongming Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Haimeng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Sunil Kumar Sahu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Qing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hao Yuan
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Prevention and Control of Guangdong Province, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yixin Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zipeng Yang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Prevention and Control of Guangdong Province, Guangzhou, China
| | - Le Zhang
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China
| | - Shangchen Yang
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Haorong Lu
- China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Genome Read and Write, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lei Han
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China
| | - Shaofang Zhang
- China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Genome Read and Write, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jieyao Yu
- China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Genome Read and Write, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yasser S. Mahmmod
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Higher Colleges of Technology, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt
| | - Yanchun Xu
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China
| | - Yan Hua
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Silviculture, Protection and Utilization, Guangdong Academy of Forestry, Guangzhou, China
| | - Fengping He
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China
- *Correspondence: Huan Liu, ; Ziguo Yuan, ; Fengping He,
| | - Ziguo Yuan
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Prevention and Control of Guangdong Province, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Huan Liu, ; Ziguo Yuan, ; Fengping He,
| | - Huan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Genome Read and Write, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
- *Correspondence: Huan Liu, ; Ziguo Yuan, ; Fengping He,
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Wang MS, Thakur M, Jhala Y, Wang S, Srinivas Y, Dai SS, Liu ZX, Chen HM, Green RE, Koepfli KP, Shapiro B. OUP accepted manuscript. Genome Biol Evol 2022; 14:6524629. [PMID: 35137061 PMCID: PMC8841465 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evac012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ming-Shan Wang
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, USA
- Corresponding authors: E-mails: ; ; ;
| | - Mukesh Thakur
- Zoological Survey of India, New Alipore, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
- Corresponding authors: E-mails: ; ; ;
| | | | - Sheng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Yellapu Srinivas
- Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Shan-Shan Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Zheng-Xi Liu
- College of Animal Science, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Hong-Man Chen
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China
| | - Richard E Green
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, USA
| | - Klaus-Peter Koepfli
- Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation, George Mason University, USA
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
- Computer Technologies Laboratory, ITMO University, St. Petersburg, Russia
- Corresponding authors: E-mails: ; ; ;
| | - Beth Shapiro
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, USA
- Corresponding authors: E-mails: ; ; ;
| |
Collapse
|