E-resources
Peer reviewed
Open access
-
Liu, Xiaodong; Lin, Long; Sinding, Mikkel-Holger S; Bertola, Laura D; Hanghøj, Kristian; Quinn, Liam; Garcia-Erill, Genís; Rasmussen, Malthe Sebro; Schubert, Mikkel; Pečnerová, Patrícia; Balboa, Renzo F; Li, Zilong; Heaton, Michael P; Smith, Timothy P L; Pinto, Rui Resende; Wang, Xi; Kuja, Josiah; Brüniche-Olsen, Anna; Meisner, Jonas; Santander, Cindy G; Ogutu, Joseph O; Masembe, Charles; da Fonseca, Rute R; Muwanika, Vincent; Siegismund, Hans R; Albrechtsen, Anders; Moltke, Ida; Heller, Rasmus
Nature communications, 04/2024, Volume: 15, Issue: 1Journal Article
The blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) is a keystone species in savanna ecosystems from southern to eastern Africa, and is well known for its spectacular migrations and locally extreme abundance. In contrast, the black wildebeest (C. gnou) is endemic to southern Africa, barely escaped extinction in the 1900s and is feared to be in danger of genetic swamping from the blue wildebeest. Despite the ecological importance of the wildebeest, there is a lack of understanding of how its unique migratory ecology has affected its gene flow, genetic structure and phylogeography. Here, we analyze whole genomes from 121 blue and 22 black wildebeest across the genus' range. We find discrete genetic structure consistent with the morphologically defined subspecies. Unexpectedly, our analyses reveal no signs of recent interspecific admixture, but rather a late Pleistocene introgression of black wildebeest into the southern blue wildebeest populations. Finally, we find that migratory blue wildebeest populations exhibit a combination of long-range panmixia, higher genetic diversity and lower inbreeding levels compared to neighboring populations whose migration has recently been disrupted. These findings provide crucial insights into the evolutionary history of the wildebeest, and tangible genetic evidence for the negative effects of anthropogenic activities on highly migratory ungulates.
Author
![loading ... loading ...](themes/default/img/ajax-loading.gif)
Shelf entry
Permalink
- URL:
Impact factor
Access to the JCR database is permitted only to users from Slovenia. Your current IP address is not on the list of IP addresses with access permission, and authentication with the relevant AAI accout is required.
Year | Impact factor | Edition | Category | Classification | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
JCR | SNIP | JCR | SNIP | JCR | SNIP | JCR | SNIP |
Select the library membership card:
If the library membership card is not in the list,
add a new one.
DRS, in which the journal is indexed
Database name | Field | Year |
---|
Links to authors' personal bibliographies | Links to information on researchers in the SICRIS system |
---|
Source: Personal bibliographies
and: SICRIS
The material is available in full text. If you wish to order the material anyway, click the Continue button.