Dataset Information

Holocene deglaciation drove rapid genetic diversification of Atlantic walrus.

ABSTRACT: Rapid global warming is severely impacting Arctic ecosystems and is predicted to transform the abundance, distribution and genetic diversity of Arctic species, though these linkages are poorly understood. We address this gap in knowledge using palaeogenomics to examine how earlier periods of global warming influenced the genetic diversity of Atlantic walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus), a species closely associated with sea ice and shallow-water habitats. We analysed 82 ancient and historical Atlantic walrus mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes), including now-extinct populations in Iceland and the Canadian Maritimes, to reconstruct the Atlantic walrus' response to Arctic deglaciation. Our results demonstrate that the phylogeography and genetic diversity of Atlantic walrus populations was initially shaped by the last glacial maximum (LGM), surviving in distinct glacial refugia, and subsequently expanding rapidly in multiple migration waves during the late Pleistocene and early Holocene. The timing of diversification and establishment of distinct populations corresponds closely with the chronology of the glacial retreat, pointing to a strong link between walrus phylogeography and sea ice. Our results indicate that accelerated ice loss in the modern Arctic may trigger further dispersal events, likely increasing the connectivity of northern stocks while isolating more southerly stocks putatively caught in small pockets of suitable habitat.

SUBMITTER: Ruiz-Puerta EJ

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10523089 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Holocene deglaciation drove rapid genetic diversification of Atlantic walrus.

Ruiz-Puerta Emily J EJ Keighley Xénia X Desjardins Sean P A SPA Gotfredsen Anne Birgitte AB Pan Shyong En SE Star Bastiaan B Boessenkool Sanne S Barrett James H JH McCarthy Morgan L ML Andersen Liselotte W LW Born Erik W EW Howse Lesley R LR Szpak Paul P Pálsson Snæbjörn S Malmquist Hilmar J HJ Rufolo Scott S Jordan Peter D PD Olsen Morten Tange MT

Proceedings. Biological sciences 20230927 2007

Rapid global warming is severely impacting Arctic ecosystems and is predicted to transform the abundance, distribution and genetic diversity of Arctic species, though these linkages are poorly understood. We address this gap in knowledge using palaeogenomics to examine how earlier periods of global warming influenced the genetic diversity of Atlantic walrus (<i>Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus</i>), a species closely associated with sea ice and shallow-water habitats. We analysed 82 ancient and histor ...[more]

PMID: 37752842

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Project description:Some marine microbes are seemingly "ubiquitous," thriving across a wide range of environmental conditions. While the increased depth in metagenomic sequencing has led to a growing body of research on within-population heterogeneity in environmental microbial populations, there have been fewer systematic comparisons and characterizations of population-level genetic diversity over broader expanses of time and space. Here, we investigated the factors that govern the diversification of ubiquitous microbial taxa found within and between ocean basins. Specifically, we use mapped metagenomic paired reads to examine the genetic diversity of ammonia-oxidizing archaeal ("Candidatus Nitrosopelagicus brevis") populations in the Pacific (Hawaii Ocean Time-series [HOT]) and Atlantic (Bermuda Atlantic Time Series [BATS]) Oceans sampled over 2 years. We observed higher nucleotide diversity in "Ca. N. brevis" at HOT, driven by a higher rate of homologous recombination. In contrast, "Ca. N. brevis" at BATS featured a more open pangenome with a larger set of genes that were specific to BATS, suggesting a history of dynamic gene gain and loss events. Furthermore, we identified highly differentiated genes that were regulatory in function, some of which exhibited evidence of recent selective sweeps. These findings indicate that different modes of genetic diversification likely incur specific adaptive advantages depending on the selective pressures that they are under. Within-population diversity generated by the environment-specific strategies of genetic diversification is likely key to the ecological success of "Ca. N. brevis." IMPORTANCE Ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) are one of the most abundant chemolithoautotrophic microbes in the marine water column and are major contributors to global carbon and nitrogen cycling. Despite their ecological importance and geographical pervasiveness, there have been limited systematic comparisons and characterizations of their population-level genetic diversity over time and space. Here, we use metagenomic time series from two ocean observatories to address the fundamental questions of how abiotic and biotic factors shape the population-level genetic diversity and how natural microbial populations adapt across diverse habitats. We show that the marine AOA "Candidatus Nitrosopelagicus brevis" in different ocean basins exhibits distinct modes of genetic diversification in response to their selective regimes shaped by nutrient availability and patterns of environmental fluctuations. Our findings specific to "Ca. N. brevis" have broader implications, particularly in understanding the population-level responses to the changing climate and predicting its impact on biogeochemical cycles.

Dataset Information

Holocene deglaciation drove rapid genetic diversification of Atlantic walrus.

Publications

Holocene deglaciation drove rapid genetic diversification of Atlantic walrus.

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