Life-history traits and habitat availability shape genomic diversity in birds: implications for conservation

Abstract

More than 25% of species assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) are threatened with extinction. Understanding how environmental and biological processes have shaped genomic diversity may inform management practices. Using 68 extant avian species, we parsed the effects of habitat availability and life-history traits on genomic diversity over time to provide a baseline for conservation efforts. We used published whole-genome sequence data to estimate overall genomic diversity as indicated by historical long-term effective population sizes ( N e ) and current genomic variability ( H ), then used environmental niche modelling to estimate Pleistocene habitat dynamics for each species. We found that N e and H were positively correlated with habitat availability and related to key life-history traits (body mass and diet), suggesting the latter contribute to the overall genomic variation. We found that H decreased with increasing species extinction risk, suggesting that H may serve as a leading indicator of demographic trends related to formal IUCN conservation status in birds. Our analyses illustrate that genome-wide summary statistics estimated from sequence data reflect meaningful ecological attributes relevant to species conservation.

The First Genome of the Balearic Shearwater (Puffinus mauretanicus) Provides a Valuable Resource for Conservation Genomics and Sheds Light on Adaptation to a Pelagic lifestyle

“…Small-bodied species ( O. oceanicus , F. grallaria , H. tethys , and P. urinatrix ) have higher heterozygosities and higher variance in heterozygosity levels across the genome than large-bodied species ( Fulmarus glacialis , C. borealis , P. mauretanicus and T. chlororhynchos ). This pattern is in line with the negative correlations reported between heterozygosity and body size across animals from many taxa ( Romiguier et al 2014 ; Brüniche-Olsen et al 2018 , 2021 ). Such well-supported correlations are likely due to the interplay between N e and μ , both of which are correlated with body size ( Romiguier et al 2014 ; Brüniche-Olsen et al 2018 ).…”

“…The genetic diversity within a species represents a reservoir of adaptive variation that can help populations to cope with environmental variability ( Dussex et al 2021 ). Understanding the processes that shape genetic diversity and its distribution pattern within species is paramount to assess the conservation status or the factors responsible for a species decline ( Brüniche-Olsen et al 2021 ). This knowledge can inform the proposal of effective conservation and management plans, as for instance the definition of management units ( Funk et al 2012 ).…”

A paternal bias in germline mutation is widespread in amniotes and can arise independently of cell divisions

“…In birds, we used π estimates in [78], obtaining direct estimates for 13 of the remaining species. For species not present in the database, we assigned the π of the closest species in the bird phylogeny (85 species).…”

Genetic diversity varies with species traits and latitude in predatory soil arthropods (Myriapoda: Chilopoda)

“…The genetic diversity of centipedes decreases with increasing body size, a relationship that has been observed across several animal groups (Brüniche-Olsen et al, 2021;De Kort et al, 2021;Mackintosh et al, 2019;Romiguier et al, 2014; an exception being Barrow et al, 2021). This association could be driven by the negative relationship between body size and abundance due to resource constraints (White et al, 2007), and by body size representing an ecological strategy that determines long-term effective population size (Ellegren & Galtier, 2016).…”