A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Increased genetic differentiation in house sparrows after a strong population decline: From panmixia towards structure in a common bird
Authors: Kekkonen J, Hanski IK, Jensen H, Väisänen RA, Brommer JE
Publisher: ELSEVIER SCI LTD
Publication year: 2011
Journal: Biological Conservation
Journal name in source: BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
Journal acronym: BIOL CONSERV
Volume: 144
Issue: 12
First page : 2931
Last page: 2940
Number of pages: 10
ISSN: 0006-3207
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2011.08.012
Abstract
A drastic decline in abundance prompts conservation measures, even though a species may still be common, partly because such a decline may be associated with loss of genetic variability. Longitudinal evidence (i.e. repeated measures across time) for loss of genetic diversity is scarce and mostly concerns organisms that have experienced a severe bottleneck Here, we study the house sparrow in Finland, where a strong (50-86%) reduction in abundance occurred in four decades, starting earlier and resulting steeper decline in the south than in the north. Based on thirteen polymorphic microsatellites, we compared 12 Finnish populations both prior (mid-1980s) and after (2009) the major population decline. There was no evidence of bottlenecks and only little loss of genetic variation, but we found a significant threefold increase in genetic differentiation (F(ST)) across the populations. This may reflect a non-equilibrium situation between the rates of change in the genetic diversity and differentiation and indicate future loss of genetic diversity. Our findings indicate that a strong decline in population size in a relatively common species still leaves a noticeable population-genetic imprint and warrants conservation concern. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
A drastic decline in abundance prompts conservation measures, even though a species may still be common, partly because such a decline may be associated with loss of genetic variability. Longitudinal evidence (i.e. repeated measures across time) for loss of genetic diversity is scarce and mostly concerns organisms that have experienced a severe bottleneck Here, we study the house sparrow in Finland, where a strong (50-86%) reduction in abundance occurred in four decades, starting earlier and resulting steeper decline in the south than in the north. Based on thirteen polymorphic microsatellites, we compared 12 Finnish populations both prior (mid-1980s) and after (2009) the major population decline. There was no evidence of bottlenecks and only little loss of genetic variation, but we found a significant threefold increase in genetic differentiation (F(ST)) across the populations. This may reflect a non-equilibrium situation between the rates of change in the genetic diversity and differentiation and indicate future loss of genetic diversity. Our findings indicate that a strong decline in population size in a relatively common species still leaves a noticeable population-genetic imprint and warrants conservation concern. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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