50,000 years of ice and seals: Impacts of the Last Glacial Maximum on Antarctic fur seals

Cleary, Alison C.; Hoffman, Joseph I.; Forcada, Jaume; Lydersen, Christian; Lowther, Andrew D.; Kovacs, Kit M.

doi:10.1002/ece3.8104

Cited by 9 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…Further comparisons with larger sample sizes and other measurements should be conducted in the future. However, the morphometric differences described here indicate an adaptation to colder conditions since population divergence (Cleary et al, 2021) and support the robust genetic evidence that SSI AFS are genetically distinct from those at SG.…”

Section: Inter-regional Body Size Comparisonsupporting

confidence: 81%

“…However, recent genetic studies largely reject this hypothesis. Instead, a genetic break between eastern and western stocks, first postulated by Wynen et al (2000), was unequivocally confirmed by subsequent studies utilizing nuclear DNA markers (Humble et al, 2018;Cleary et al, 2019Cleary et al, , 2021 showing high levels of differentiation (Paijmans et al, 2020). Distinct clusters correspond to populations in the west and the east (Kerguelen, Heard, and Macquarie Islands; Humble et al, 2018;Paijmans et al, 2020).…”

Section: Antarctic Fur Seal Population Structurementioning

confidence: 93%

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The Rapid Population Collapse of a Key Marine Predator in the Northern Antarctic Peninsula Endangers Genetic Diversity and Resilience to Climate Change

et al. 2022

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Antarctic fur seals (AFS) are an ecologically important predator and a focal indicator species for ecosystem-based Antarctic fisheries management. This species suffered intensive anthropogenic exploitation until the early 1900s, but recolonized most of its former distribution, including the southern-most colony at Cape Shirreff, South Shetland Islands (SSI). The IUCN describes a single, global AFS population of least concern; however, extensive genetic analyses clearly identify four distinct breeding stocks, including one in the SSI. To update the population status of SSI AFS, we analyzed 20 years of field-based data including population counts, body size and condition, natality, recruitment, foraging behaviors, return rates, and pup mortality at the largest SSI colony. Our findings show a precipitous decline in AFS abundance (86% decrease since 2007), likely driven by leopard seal predation (increasing since 2001, p << 0.001) and potentially worsening summer foraging conditions. We estimated that leopard seals consumed an average of 69.3% (range: 50.3–80.9%) of all AFS pups born each year since 2010. AFS foraging-trip durations, an index of their foraging habitat quality, were consistent with decreasing krill and fish availability. Significant improvement in the age-specific over-winter body condition of AFS indicates that observed population declines are driven by processes local to the northern Antarctic Peninsula. The loss of SSI AFS would substantially reduce the genetic diversity of the species, and decrease its resilience to climate change. There is an urgent need to reevaluate the conservation status of Antarctic fur seals, particularly for the rapidly declining SSI population.

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Section: Inter-regional Body Size Comparisonsupporting

confidence: 81%

Section: Antarctic Fur Seal Population Structurementioning

confidence: 93%

The Rapid Population Collapse of a Key Marine Predator in the Northern Antarctic Peninsula Endangers Genetic Diversity and Resilience to Climate Change

et al. 2022

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“…2018, Cole et al . 2019, Cleary et al . 2021), which can help to understand how species have responded to past major climatic and environmental changes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…2014) and marine species (Louis et al . 2020, Cleary et al . 2021), and this never been explored for Snowy Owls, an important species which structures the Arctic trophic network (Legagneux et al .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In a conservation context, we also attempted to estimate the current effective population size (Ne) of the species in North America. effective population size for Arctic terrestrial (Prost et al 2010, Lorenzen et al 2011, Yannic et al 2014) and marine species (Louis et al 2020, Cleary et al 2021, and this never been explored for Snowy Owls, an important species which structures the Arctic trophic network (Legagneux et al 2012, Gauthier et al 2013.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Long-term population decline of a genetically homogenous continental-wide top Arctic predator

Gousy-Leblanc

Therrien

Broquet

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Genetic analysis can provide valuable information for conservation programs by unraveling the demographic trajectory of populations, by estimating effective population size, or by inferring genetic differentiation between populations. Here, we investigated the genetic differentiation within the Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus), a species identified as vulnerable by the IUCN, to (i) quantify connectivity among wintering areas, (ii) to evaluate current genetic diversity and effective population size and (iii) to infer changes in the historical effective population size changes from the last millennia to the recent past. The Snowy Owl, a highly mobile top predator, breeds across the Arctic tundra which is a region especially sensitive to current climate change. Using SNP-based analyses on Snowy Owls sampled across the North American nonbreeding range, we found an absence of genetic differentiation among individuals located up to 4,650 km apart. Our results suggest high genetic intermixing and effective dispersal at the continental scale despite documented philopatry to nonbreeding sites in winter. Reconstructing the population demographic indicated that North American Snowy Owls have been steadily declining since the Last Glacial Maximum ca 20,000 years ago and concurrently with global increases in temperature. Conservation programs should now consider North American Snowy Owls as a single, genetically homogenous continental-wide population which is most likely sensitive to the long-term global warming occurring since the Last Glacial Maximum.

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Palaeoclimatic changes resulted in range expansion and subsequent divergence in brown fur seals,Arctocephalus pusillus

et al. 2022

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Past climatic change as a driving force of marine diversification is still largely unclear, particularly for Southern Hemisphere species. Here, we present a case using the brown fur seal, Arctocephalus pusillus, assessing the geographical structure and demographic history using mitochondrial and nuclear data. Results show the two previously defined subspecies (one from Australia and the other from southern Africa) are phylogeographically distinct. Migration analyses based on nuclear data suggest the absence of migrants among the two genetically close assemblages. The demographic history of A. pusillus is characterized by a glacial population expansion (approx. 18 kya) in the southern African lineage, which coincides with time estimates of population expansion of prey species of seals. Approximate Bayesian calculations support an eastward dispersal event during the Last Glacial Maximum when sea levels were lower, followed by a postglacial divergence event, approximately 13 kya. The demographic history of the brown fur seal in the Southern Oceans provides support that recent palaeoclimatic changes could have facilitated expansions in some marine species and that postglacial sea-level rise may have acted as a dispersal barrier for species mostly confined to continental shelves.

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50,000 years of ice and seals: Impacts of the Last Glacial Maximum on Antarctic fur seals

Cited by 9 publications

References 41 publications

The Rapid Population Collapse of a Key Marine Predator in the Northern Antarctic Peninsula Endangers Genetic Diversity and Resilience to Climate Change

The Rapid Population Collapse of a Key Marine Predator in the Northern Antarctic Peninsula Endangers Genetic Diversity and Resilience to Climate Change

Long-term population decline of a genetically homogenous continental-wide top Arctic predator

Palaeoclimatic changes resulted in range expansion and subsequent divergence in brown fur seals,Arctocephalus pusillus

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