Whole-genome Analyses Reveal Past Population Fluctuations and Low Genetic Diversities of the North Pacific Albatrosses.

Throughout the Plio-Pleistocene, climate change has impacted tropical marine ecosystems substantially, with even more severe impacts predicted in the Anthropocene. Although many studies have clarified demographic histories of seabirds in polar regions, the history of keystone seabirds of the tropics is unclear, despite the prominence of albatrosses (Diomedeidae, Procellariiformes) as the largest and most threatened group of oceanic seabirds. To understand the impact of climate change on tropical albatrosses, we investigated the evolutionary and demographic histories of all four North Pacific albatrosses and their prey using whole-genome analyses.

Both selection and drift drive the spatial pattern of adaptive genetic variation in a wild mammal.

The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) has been intensively studied for the relative effects of different evolutionary forces in recent decades. Pathogen-mediated balancing selection is generally thought to explain the high polymorphism observed in MHC genes, but it is still unclear to what extent MHC diversity is shaped by selection relative to neutral drift. In this study, we genotyped MHC class II DRB genes and 15 neutral microsatellite loci across 26 geographic populations of European badgers (Meles meles) covering most of their geographic range.

Intra-specific copy number variation of MHC class II genes in the Siamese fighting fish.

Duplicates of genes for major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules can be subjected to selection independently and vary markedly in their evolutionary rates, sequence polymorphism, and functional roles. Therefore, without a thorough understanding of their copy number variation (CNV) in the genome, the MHC-dependent fitness consequences within a species could be misinterpreted. Studying the intra-specific CNV of this highly polymorphic gene, however, has long been hindered by the difficulties in assigning alleles to loci and the lack of high-quality genomic data.

Development and characterization of microsatellite markers in Rosy-faced and other lovebirds (Agapornis spp.) using next-generation sequencing.

Agapornis are a group of small African parrots that are heavily traded around the world. They are invasive species in many places, but some of them are listed as Vulnerable or Near Threatened. However, the genetic tools for assessing inter-individual relationships, population structure, and genetic diversity of these birds are very limited.