Road to Extinction? Past and Present Population Structure and Genomic Diversity in the Koala.

IF 5.3 1区生物学 Q1 BIOCHEMISTRY & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY

Molecular biology and evolution Pub Date : 2025-04-01 DOI:10.1093/molbev/msaf057

Binia De Cahsan, Marcela Sandoval Velasco, Michael V Westbury, David A Duchêne, Mikkel H Strander Sinding, Hernán E Morales, Daniela C Kalthoff, Ian Barnes, Selina Brace, Roberto Portela Miguez, Alfred L Roca, Alex D Greenwood, Rebecca N Johnson, Matthew J Lott, M Thomas P Gilbert

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Koalas are arboreal herbivorous marsupials, endemic to Australia. During the late 1800s and early 1900s, the number of koalas declined dramatically due to hunting for their furs. In addition, anthropogenic activities have further decimated their available habitat, and decreased population numbers. Here, we utilize 37 historic and 25 modern genomes sampled from across their historic and present geographic range, to gain insights into how their population structure and genetic diversity have changed across time; assess the genetic consequences of the period of intense hunting, and the current genetic status of this iconic Australian species. Our analyses reveal how genome-wide heterozygosity has decreased through time and unveil previously uncharacterized mitochondrial haplotypes and nuclear genotypes in the historic dataset, which are absent from today's koala populations.

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灭绝之路？考拉过去和现在的种群结构和基因组多样性。

考拉是树栖草食性有袋动物，澳大利亚特有。在19世纪末和20世纪初，考拉的数量急剧下降，因为它们的皮毛被猎杀。此外，人类活动进一步破坏了它们的可用栖息地，并减少了种群数量。在这里，我们利用37个历史基因组和25个现代基因组，从它们的历史和现在的地理范围中取样，以深入了解它们的种群结构和遗传多样性是如何随时间变化的；评估激烈狩猎时期的遗传后果，以及这个澳大利亚标志性物种的当前遗传状况。我们的分析揭示了全基因组杂合性是如何随着时间的推移而下降的，并揭示了历史数据集中以前未被描述的线粒体单倍型和核基因型，这些在今天的考拉种群中是不存在的。

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来源期刊

Molecular biology and evolution 生物-进化生物学

CiteScore

19.70

自引率

3.70%

发文量

257

审稿时长

1 months

期刊介绍： Molecular Biology and Evolution Journal Overview: Publishes research at the interface of molecular (including genomics) and evolutionary biology Considers manuscripts containing patterns, processes, and predictions at all levels of organization: population, taxonomic, functional, and phenotypic Interested in fundamental discoveries, new and improved methods, resources, technologies, and theories advancing evolutionary research Publishes balanced reviews of recent developments in genome evolution and forward-looking perspectives suggesting future directions in molecular evolution applications.