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Long-term isolation at a low effective population size greatly reduced genetic diversity in Gulf of California fin whales
Summary
Researchers analyzed DNA from over 400 Gulf of California fin whales and found the population was founded roughly 2,300 years ago, has remained very small and isolated ever since, and has extremely low genetic diversity as a result. This isolation makes the population highly vulnerable to threats like pollution, ship strikes, and climate change, since it lacks the genetic variation needed to adapt.
The Gulf of California, Mexico is home to many cetacean species, including a presumed resident population of fin whales, Balaenoptera physalus. Past studies reported very low levels of genetic diversity among Gulf of California fin whales and a significant level of genetic differentiation from con-specifics in the eastern North Pacific. The aim of the present study was to assess the degree and timing of the isolation of Gulf of California fin whales in a population genetic analysis of 18 nuclear microsatellite genotypes from 402 samples and 565 mitochondrial control region DNA sequences (including mitochondrial sequences retrieved from NCBI). The analyses revealed that the Gulf of California fin whale population was founded ~2.3 thousand years ago and has since remained at a low effective population size (~360) and isolated from the eastern North Pacific (Nem between 0.89-1.4). The low effective population size and high degree of isolation implied that Gulf of California fin whales are vulnerable to the negative effects of genetic drift, human-caused mortality and habitat change.
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