Population genomics of the muskox' resilience in the near absence of genetic variation
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Population genomics of the muskox' resilience in the near absence of genetic variation. / Pečnerová, Patrícia; Lord, Edana; Garcia-Erill, Genís; Hanghøj, Kristian; Rasmussen, Malthe Sebro; Meisner, Jonas; Liu, Xiaodong; van der Valk, Tom; Santander, Cindy G.; Quinn, Liam; Lin, Long; Liu, Shanlin; Carøe, Christian; Dalerum, Fredrik; Götherström, Anders; Måsviken, Johannes; Vartanyan, Sergey; Raundrup, Katrine; Al-Chaer, Amal; Rasmussen, Linett; Hvilsom, Christina; Heide-Jørgensen, Mads Peter; Sinding, Mikkel Holger S.; Aastrup, Peter; Van Coeverden de Groot, Peter J.; Schmidt, Niels Martin; Albrechtsen, Anders; Dalén, Love; Heller, Rasmus; Moltke, Ida; Siegismund, Hans Redlef.
In: Molecular Ecology, Vol. 33, No. 2, 2024.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Population genomics of the muskox' resilience in the near absence of genetic variation
AU - Pečnerová, Patrícia
AU - Lord, Edana
AU - Garcia-Erill, Genís
AU - Hanghøj, Kristian
AU - Rasmussen, Malthe Sebro
AU - Meisner, Jonas
AU - Liu, Xiaodong
AU - van der Valk, Tom
AU - Santander, Cindy G.
AU - Quinn, Liam
AU - Lin, Long
AU - Liu, Shanlin
AU - Carøe, Christian
AU - Dalerum, Fredrik
AU - Götherström, Anders
AU - Måsviken, Johannes
AU - Vartanyan, Sergey
AU - Raundrup, Katrine
AU - Al-Chaer, Amal
AU - Rasmussen, Linett
AU - Hvilsom, Christina
AU - Heide-Jørgensen, Mads Peter
AU - Sinding, Mikkel Holger S.
AU - Aastrup, Peter
AU - Van Coeverden de Groot, Peter J.
AU - Schmidt, Niels Martin
AU - Albrechtsen, Anders
AU - Dalén, Love
AU - Heller, Rasmus
AU - Moltke, Ida
AU - Siegismund, Hans Redlef
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - Genomic studies of species threatened by extinction are providing crucial information about evolutionary mechanisms and genetic consequences of population declines and bottlenecks. However, to understand how species avoid the extinction vortex, insights can be drawn by studying species that thrive despite past declines. Here, we studied the population genomics of the muskox (Ovibos moschatus), an Ice Age relict that was at the brink of extinction for thousands of years at the end of the Pleistocene yet appears to be thriving today. We analysed 108 whole genomes, including present-day individuals representing the current native range of both muskox subspecies, the white-faced and the barren-ground muskox (O. moschatus wardi and O. moschatus moschatus) and a ~21,000-year-old ancient individual from Siberia. We found that the muskox' demographic history was profoundly shaped by past climate changes and post-glacial re-colonizations. In particular, the white-faced muskox has the lowest genome-wide heterozygosity recorded in an ungulate. Yet, there is no evidence of inbreeding depression in native muskox populations. We hypothesize that this can be explained by the effect of long-term gradual population declines that allowed for purging of strongly deleterious mutations. This study provides insights into how species with a history of population bottlenecks, small population sizes and low genetic diversity survive against all odds.
AB - Genomic studies of species threatened by extinction are providing crucial information about evolutionary mechanisms and genetic consequences of population declines and bottlenecks. However, to understand how species avoid the extinction vortex, insights can be drawn by studying species that thrive despite past declines. Here, we studied the population genomics of the muskox (Ovibos moschatus), an Ice Age relict that was at the brink of extinction for thousands of years at the end of the Pleistocene yet appears to be thriving today. We analysed 108 whole genomes, including present-day individuals representing the current native range of both muskox subspecies, the white-faced and the barren-ground muskox (O. moschatus wardi and O. moschatus moschatus) and a ~21,000-year-old ancient individual from Siberia. We found that the muskox' demographic history was profoundly shaped by past climate changes and post-glacial re-colonizations. In particular, the white-faced muskox has the lowest genome-wide heterozygosity recorded in an ungulate. Yet, there is no evidence of inbreeding depression in native muskox populations. We hypothesize that this can be explained by the effect of long-term gradual population declines that allowed for purging of strongly deleterious mutations. This study provides insights into how species with a history of population bottlenecks, small population sizes and low genetic diversity survive against all odds.
KW - ancient DNA
KW - genetic diversity
KW - genetic load
KW - inbreeding
KW - muskox
KW - population genomics
U2 - 10.1111/mec.17205
DO - 10.1111/mec.17205
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 37971141
AN - SCOPUS:85176923803
VL - 33
JO - Molecular Ecology
JF - Molecular Ecology
SN - 0962-1083
IS - 2
ER -
ID: 374402853