Comparative population genomics reveals key barriers to dispersal in Southern Ocean penguins

Gemma V. Clucas; Jane L. Younger; Damian Kao; Louise Emmerson; Colin Southwell; Barbara Wienecke; Alex D. Rogers; Charles André Bost; Gary D. Miller; Michael J. Polito; Patrick Lelliott; Jonathan Handley; Sarah Crofts; Richard A. Phillips; Michael J. Dunn; Karen J. Miller; Tom Hart

doi:10.1111/mec.14896

Comparative population genomics reveals key barriers to dispersal in Southern Ocean penguins

Gemma V. Clucas, Jane L. Younger, Damian Kao, Louise Emmerson, Colin Southwell, Barbara Wienecke, Alex D. Rogers, Charles André Bost, Gary D. Miller, Michael J. Polito, Patrick Lelliott, Jonathan Handley, Sarah Crofts, Richard A. Phillips, Michael J. Dunn, Karen J. Miller, Tom Hart

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

33 Citations (SciVal)

Abstract

The mechanisms that determine patterns of species dispersal are important factors in the production and maintenance of biodiversity. Understanding these mechanisms helps to forecast the responses of species to environmental change. Here, we used a comparative framework and genomewide data obtained through RAD-Seq to compare the patterns of connectivity among breeding colonies for five penguin species with shared ancestry, overlapping distributions and differing ecological niches, allowing an examination of the intrinsic and extrinsic barriers governing dispersal patterns. Our findings show that at-sea range and oceanography underlie patterns of dispersal in these penguins. The pelagic niche of emperor (Aptenodytes forsteri), king (A. patagonicus), Adélie (Pygoscelis adeliae) and chinstrap (P. antarctica) penguins facilitates gene flow over thousands of kilometres. In contrast, the coastal niche of gentoo penguins (P. papua) limits dispersal, resulting in population divergences. Oceanographic fronts also act as dispersal barriers to some extent. We recommend that forecasts of extinction risk incorporate dispersal and that management units are defined by at-sea range and oceanography in species lacking genetic data.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	4680-4697
Number of pages	18
Journal	Molecular Ecology
Volume	27
Issue number	23
Early online date	11 Oct 2018
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.14896
Publication status	Published - 1 Dec 2018

Funding

Council, Grant/Award Number: PhD studentship 1272500; Endeavour Research Fellowship; Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment; Sea World Research and Rescue Foundation; Institut Polaire Français Paul Emile Victor; Quark Expeditions; Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University; Darwin Initiative, Grant/Award Number: DPLUS 002 This study was funded by a NERC PhD studentship (1272500; GC), Australian Antarctic Science Program grants (4184; KM, JY, LE; 4087; CS, LE), a Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment (JY), the Sea World Research and Rescue Foundation (JY, KM), an Endeavour Research Fellowship (JY), The Darwin Initiative (DPLUS 002; TH), Quark Expeditions (TH, GC), the French Polar Institute IPEV (394; CAB) and U.S. National Science Foundation (ANT-0739575, MP). We are very grateful to these individuals and organizations for contributions of penguin genetic material: Jerry Kooyman, Francoise Amelineau, Julie McInnes, Helen Achurch, Cecilia Carrea, Laura Morrissey, Thierry Raclot, Phil Trathan, Andy Black, Alex Corbeau, Joan Ferrer, Onno Huyser, the U.S. Antarctic Program and the U.S. Antarctic Marine Living Resource Program for logistical support at King George Island, the Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands and Quark Expeditions for support in sample collection around the Scotia Arc, and the British Antarctic Survey for logistical support in sample collecting at the South Orkney Islands. Thanks to the Oxford Advanced Research Computing (ARC) facility (https:// doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22558) and staff at Edinburgh Genomics, which is partly supported through core grants from NERC (R8/ H10/56), MRC (MR/K001744/1) and BBSRC (BB/J004243/1).

Keywords

Aptenodytes
genetic differentiation
Polar Front
population genomics
Pygoscelis
RAD-Seq

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Genetics

Access to Document

10.1111/mec.14896Licence: CC BY

Cite this

Clucas, G. V., Younger, J. L., Kao, D., Emmerson, L., Southwell, C., Wienecke, B., Rogers, A. D., Bost, C. A., Miller, G. D., Polito, M. J., Lelliott, P., Handley, J., Crofts, S., Phillips, R. A., Dunn, M. J., Miller, K. J., & Hart, T. (2018). Comparative population genomics reveals key barriers to dispersal in Southern Ocean penguins. Molecular Ecology, 27(23), 4680-4697. https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.14896

Clucas, GV, Younger, JL, Kao, D, Emmerson, L, Southwell, C, Wienecke, B, Rogers, AD, Bost, CA, Miller, GD, Polito, MJ, Lelliott, P, Handley, J, Crofts, S, Phillips, RA, Dunn, MJ, Miller, KJ & Hart, T 2018, 'Comparative population genomics reveals key barriers to dispersal in Southern Ocean penguins', Molecular Ecology, vol. 27, no. 23, pp. 4680-4697. https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.14896

@article{659c50d039c141c98c37cd6ca550851e,

title = "Comparative population genomics reveals key barriers to dispersal in Southern Ocean penguins",

abstract = "The mechanisms that determine patterns of species dispersal are important factors in the production and maintenance of biodiversity. Understanding these mechanisms helps to forecast the responses of species to environmental change. Here, we used a comparative framework and genomewide data obtained through RAD-Seq to compare the patterns of connectivity among breeding colonies for five penguin species with shared ancestry, overlapping distributions and differing ecological niches, allowing an examination of the intrinsic and extrinsic barriers governing dispersal patterns. Our findings show that at-sea range and oceanography underlie patterns of dispersal in these penguins. The pelagic niche of emperor (Aptenodytes forsteri), king (A. patagonicus), Ad{\'e}lie (Pygoscelis adeliae) and chinstrap (P. antarctica) penguins facilitates gene flow over thousands of kilometres. In contrast, the coastal niche of gentoo penguins (P. papua) limits dispersal, resulting in population divergences. Oceanographic fronts also act as dispersal barriers to some extent. We recommend that forecasts of extinction risk incorporate dispersal and that management units are defined by at-sea range and oceanography in species lacking genetic data.",

keywords = "Aptenodytes, genetic differentiation, Polar Front, population genomics, Pygoscelis, RAD-Seq",

author = "Clucas, {Gemma V.} and Younger, {Jane L.} and Damian Kao and Louise Emmerson and Colin Southwell and Barbara Wienecke and Rogers, {Alex D.} and Bost, {Charles Andr{\'e}} and Miller, {Gary D.} and Polito, {Michael J.} and Patrick Lelliott and Jonathan Handley and Sarah Crofts and Phillips, {Richard A.} and Dunn, {Michael J.} and Miller, {Karen J.} and Tom Hart",

year = "2018",

month = dec,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1111/mec.14896",

language = "English",

volume = "27",

pages = "4680--4697",

journal = "Molecular Ecology",

issn = "0962-1083",

publisher = "Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd",

number = "23",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Comparative population genomics reveals key barriers to dispersal in Southern Ocean penguins

AU - Clucas, Gemma V.

AU - Younger, Jane L.

AU - Kao, Damian

AU - Emmerson, Louise

AU - Southwell, Colin

AU - Wienecke, Barbara

AU - Rogers, Alex D.

AU - Bost, Charles André

AU - Miller, Gary D.

AU - Polito, Michael J.

AU - Lelliott, Patrick

AU - Handley, Jonathan

AU - Crofts, Sarah

AU - Phillips, Richard A.

AU - Dunn, Michael J.

AU - Miller, Karen J.

AU - Hart, Tom

PY - 2018/12/1

Y1 - 2018/12/1

N2 - The mechanisms that determine patterns of species dispersal are important factors in the production and maintenance of biodiversity. Understanding these mechanisms helps to forecast the responses of species to environmental change. Here, we used a comparative framework and genomewide data obtained through RAD-Seq to compare the patterns of connectivity among breeding colonies for five penguin species with shared ancestry, overlapping distributions and differing ecological niches, allowing an examination of the intrinsic and extrinsic barriers governing dispersal patterns. Our findings show that at-sea range and oceanography underlie patterns of dispersal in these penguins. The pelagic niche of emperor (Aptenodytes forsteri), king (A. patagonicus), Adélie (Pygoscelis adeliae) and chinstrap (P. antarctica) penguins facilitates gene flow over thousands of kilometres. In contrast, the coastal niche of gentoo penguins (P. papua) limits dispersal, resulting in population divergences. Oceanographic fronts also act as dispersal barriers to some extent. We recommend that forecasts of extinction risk incorporate dispersal and that management units are defined by at-sea range and oceanography in species lacking genetic data.

AB - The mechanisms that determine patterns of species dispersal are important factors in the production and maintenance of biodiversity. Understanding these mechanisms helps to forecast the responses of species to environmental change. Here, we used a comparative framework and genomewide data obtained through RAD-Seq to compare the patterns of connectivity among breeding colonies for five penguin species with shared ancestry, overlapping distributions and differing ecological niches, allowing an examination of the intrinsic and extrinsic barriers governing dispersal patterns. Our findings show that at-sea range and oceanography underlie patterns of dispersal in these penguins. The pelagic niche of emperor (Aptenodytes forsteri), king (A. patagonicus), Adélie (Pygoscelis adeliae) and chinstrap (P. antarctica) penguins facilitates gene flow over thousands of kilometres. In contrast, the coastal niche of gentoo penguins (P. papua) limits dispersal, resulting in population divergences. Oceanographic fronts also act as dispersal barriers to some extent. We recommend that forecasts of extinction risk incorporate dispersal and that management units are defined by at-sea range and oceanography in species lacking genetic data.

KW - Aptenodytes

KW - genetic differentiation

KW - Polar Front

KW - population genomics

KW - Pygoscelis

KW - RAD-Seq

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85056817546&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1111/mec.14896

DO - 10.1111/mec.14896

M3 - Article

C2 - 30308702

AN - SCOPUS:85056817546

SN - 0962-1083

VL - 27

SP - 4680

EP - 4697

JO - Molecular Ecology

JF - Molecular Ecology

IS - 23

ER -

Comparative population genomics reveals key barriers to dispersal in Southern Ocean penguins

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this