Implications of the circumpolar genetic structure of polar bears for their conservation in a rapidly warming Arctic.
We provide an expansive analysis of polar bear (Ursus maritimus) circumpolar genetic variation during the last two decades of decline in their sea-ice habitat. We sought to evaluate whether their genetic diversity and structure have changed over this period of habitat decline, how their current gene...
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
---|---|
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2015-01-01
|
Series: | PLoS ONE |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0112021 |
id |
doaj-bc0619d961ce4e5ab3f6da8ab9481bcb |
---|---|
record_format |
Article |
spelling |
doaj-bc0619d961ce4e5ab3f6da8ab9481bcb2021-03-03T20:10:46ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032015-01-01101e11202110.1371/journal.pone.0112021Implications of the circumpolar genetic structure of polar bears for their conservation in a rapidly warming Arctic.Elizabeth PeacockSarah A SonsthagenMartyn E ObbardAndrei BoltunovEric V RegehrNikita OvsyanikovJon AarsStephen N AtkinsonGeorge K SageAndrew G HopeEve ZeylLutz BachmannDorothee EhrichKim T ScribnerSteven C AmstrupStanislav BelikovErik W BornAndrew E DerocherIan StirlingMitchell K TaylorØystein WiigDavid PaetkauSandra L TalbotWe provide an expansive analysis of polar bear (Ursus maritimus) circumpolar genetic variation during the last two decades of decline in their sea-ice habitat. We sought to evaluate whether their genetic diversity and structure have changed over this period of habitat decline, how their current genetic patterns compare with past patterns, and how genetic demography changed with ancient fluctuations in climate. Characterizing their circumpolar genetic structure using microsatellite data, we defined four clusters that largely correspond to current ecological and oceanographic factors: Eastern Polar Basin, Western Polar Basin, Canadian Archipelago and Southern Canada. We document evidence for recent (ca. last 1-3 generations) directional gene flow from Southern Canada and the Eastern Polar Basin towards the Canadian Archipelago, an area hypothesized to be a future refugium for polar bears as climate-induced habitat decline continues. Our data provide empirical evidence in support of this hypothesis. The direction of current gene flow differs from earlier patterns of gene flow in the Holocene. From analyses of mitochondrial DNA, the Canadian Archipelago cluster and the Barents Sea subpopulation within the Eastern Polar Basin cluster did not show signals of population expansion, suggesting these areas may have served also as past interglacial refugia. Mismatch analyses of mitochondrial DNA data from polar and the paraphyletic brown bear (U. arctos) uncovered offset signals in timing of population expansion between the two species, that are attributed to differential demographic responses to past climate cycling. Mitogenomic structure of polar bears was shallow and developed recently, in contrast to the multiple clades of brown bears. We found no genetic signatures of recent hybridization between the species in our large, circumpolar sample, suggesting that recently observed hybrids represent localized events. Documenting changes in subpopulation connectivity will allow polar nations to proactively adjust conservation actions to continuing decline in sea-ice habitat.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0112021 |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Elizabeth Peacock Sarah A Sonsthagen Martyn E Obbard Andrei Boltunov Eric V Regehr Nikita Ovsyanikov Jon Aars Stephen N Atkinson George K Sage Andrew G Hope Eve Zeyl Lutz Bachmann Dorothee Ehrich Kim T Scribner Steven C Amstrup Stanislav Belikov Erik W Born Andrew E Derocher Ian Stirling Mitchell K Taylor Øystein Wiig David Paetkau Sandra L Talbot |
spellingShingle |
Elizabeth Peacock Sarah A Sonsthagen Martyn E Obbard Andrei Boltunov Eric V Regehr Nikita Ovsyanikov Jon Aars Stephen N Atkinson George K Sage Andrew G Hope Eve Zeyl Lutz Bachmann Dorothee Ehrich Kim T Scribner Steven C Amstrup Stanislav Belikov Erik W Born Andrew E Derocher Ian Stirling Mitchell K Taylor Øystein Wiig David Paetkau Sandra L Talbot Implications of the circumpolar genetic structure of polar bears for their conservation in a rapidly warming Arctic. PLoS ONE |
author_facet |
Elizabeth Peacock Sarah A Sonsthagen Martyn E Obbard Andrei Boltunov Eric V Regehr Nikita Ovsyanikov Jon Aars Stephen N Atkinson George K Sage Andrew G Hope Eve Zeyl Lutz Bachmann Dorothee Ehrich Kim T Scribner Steven C Amstrup Stanislav Belikov Erik W Born Andrew E Derocher Ian Stirling Mitchell K Taylor Øystein Wiig David Paetkau Sandra L Talbot |
author_sort |
Elizabeth Peacock |
title |
Implications of the circumpolar genetic structure of polar bears for their conservation in a rapidly warming Arctic. |
title_short |
Implications of the circumpolar genetic structure of polar bears for their conservation in a rapidly warming Arctic. |
title_full |
Implications of the circumpolar genetic structure of polar bears for their conservation in a rapidly warming Arctic. |
title_fullStr |
Implications of the circumpolar genetic structure of polar bears for their conservation in a rapidly warming Arctic. |
title_full_unstemmed |
Implications of the circumpolar genetic structure of polar bears for their conservation in a rapidly warming Arctic. |
title_sort |
implications of the circumpolar genetic structure of polar bears for their conservation in a rapidly warming arctic. |
publisher |
Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
series |
PLoS ONE |
issn |
1932-6203 |
publishDate |
2015-01-01 |
description |
We provide an expansive analysis of polar bear (Ursus maritimus) circumpolar genetic variation during the last two decades of decline in their sea-ice habitat. We sought to evaluate whether their genetic diversity and structure have changed over this period of habitat decline, how their current genetic patterns compare with past patterns, and how genetic demography changed with ancient fluctuations in climate. Characterizing their circumpolar genetic structure using microsatellite data, we defined four clusters that largely correspond to current ecological and oceanographic factors: Eastern Polar Basin, Western Polar Basin, Canadian Archipelago and Southern Canada. We document evidence for recent (ca. last 1-3 generations) directional gene flow from Southern Canada and the Eastern Polar Basin towards the Canadian Archipelago, an area hypothesized to be a future refugium for polar bears as climate-induced habitat decline continues. Our data provide empirical evidence in support of this hypothesis. The direction of current gene flow differs from earlier patterns of gene flow in the Holocene. From analyses of mitochondrial DNA, the Canadian Archipelago cluster and the Barents Sea subpopulation within the Eastern Polar Basin cluster did not show signals of population expansion, suggesting these areas may have served also as past interglacial refugia. Mismatch analyses of mitochondrial DNA data from polar and the paraphyletic brown bear (U. arctos) uncovered offset signals in timing of population expansion between the two species, that are attributed to differential demographic responses to past climate cycling. Mitogenomic structure of polar bears was shallow and developed recently, in contrast to the multiple clades of brown bears. We found no genetic signatures of recent hybridization between the species in our large, circumpolar sample, suggesting that recently observed hybrids represent localized events. Documenting changes in subpopulation connectivity will allow polar nations to proactively adjust conservation actions to continuing decline in sea-ice habitat. |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0112021 |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT elizabethpeacock implicationsofthecircumpolargeneticstructureofpolarbearsfortheirconservationinarapidlywarmingarctic AT sarahasonsthagen implicationsofthecircumpolargeneticstructureofpolarbearsfortheirconservationinarapidlywarmingarctic AT martyneobbard implicationsofthecircumpolargeneticstructureofpolarbearsfortheirconservationinarapidlywarmingarctic AT andreiboltunov implicationsofthecircumpolargeneticstructureofpolarbearsfortheirconservationinarapidlywarmingarctic AT ericvregehr implicationsofthecircumpolargeneticstructureofpolarbearsfortheirconservationinarapidlywarmingarctic AT nikitaovsyanikov implicationsofthecircumpolargeneticstructureofpolarbearsfortheirconservationinarapidlywarmingarctic AT jonaars implicationsofthecircumpolargeneticstructureofpolarbearsfortheirconservationinarapidlywarmingarctic AT stephennatkinson implicationsofthecircumpolargeneticstructureofpolarbearsfortheirconservationinarapidlywarmingarctic AT georgeksage implicationsofthecircumpolargeneticstructureofpolarbearsfortheirconservationinarapidlywarmingarctic AT andrewghope implicationsofthecircumpolargeneticstructureofpolarbearsfortheirconservationinarapidlywarmingarctic AT evezeyl implicationsofthecircumpolargeneticstructureofpolarbearsfortheirconservationinarapidlywarmingarctic AT lutzbachmann implicationsofthecircumpolargeneticstructureofpolarbearsfortheirconservationinarapidlywarmingarctic AT dorotheeehrich implicationsofthecircumpolargeneticstructureofpolarbearsfortheirconservationinarapidlywarmingarctic AT kimtscribner implicationsofthecircumpolargeneticstructureofpolarbearsfortheirconservationinarapidlywarmingarctic AT stevencamstrup implicationsofthecircumpolargeneticstructureofpolarbearsfortheirconservationinarapidlywarmingarctic AT stanislavbelikov implicationsofthecircumpolargeneticstructureofpolarbearsfortheirconservationinarapidlywarmingarctic AT erikwborn implicationsofthecircumpolargeneticstructureofpolarbearsfortheirconservationinarapidlywarmingarctic AT andrewederocher implicationsofthecircumpolargeneticstructureofpolarbearsfortheirconservationinarapidlywarmingarctic AT ianstirling implicationsofthecircumpolargeneticstructureofpolarbearsfortheirconservationinarapidlywarmingarctic AT mitchellktaylor implicationsofthecircumpolargeneticstructureofpolarbearsfortheirconservationinarapidlywarmingarctic AT øysteinwiig implicationsofthecircumpolargeneticstructureofpolarbearsfortheirconservationinarapidlywarmingarctic AT davidpaetkau implicationsofthecircumpolargeneticstructureofpolarbearsfortheirconservationinarapidlywarmingarctic AT sandraltalbot implicationsofthecircumpolargeneticstructureofpolarbearsfortheirconservationinarapidlywarmingarctic |
_version_ |
1714823643704328192 |