Weak population genetic differentiation in the most numerous Arctic seabird, the little auk

Quantifying patterns of genetic diversity and differentiation among populations of Arctic birds is fundamental for understanding past and ongoing population processes in the Arctic. However, the genetic differentiation of many important Arctic species remains uninvestigated. Here, phylogeography and...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Polar biology 2014-05, Vol.37 (5), p.621-630
Main Authors: Wojczulanis-Jakubas, Katarzyna, Kilikowska, Adrianna, Harding, Ann M. A., Jakubas, Dariusz, Karnovsky, Nina J., Steen, Harald, Strøm, Hallvard, Welcker, Jorg, Gavrilo, Maria, Lifjeld, Jan T., Johnsen, Arild
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alle
Analysis
Animal populations
Aquatic birds
Auks
Avifauna
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Birds
Ecology
Genetic diversity
Genetic markers
Genetic structure
Genetics
Haplotypes
Life Sciences
Marine
Microbiology
Oceanography
Original Paper
Plant Sciences
Population differentiation
Population genetics
Zoology
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Summary:Quantifying patterns of genetic diversity and differentiation among populations of Arctic birds is fundamental for understanding past and ongoing population processes in the Arctic. However, the genetic differentiation of many important Arctic species remains uninvestigated. Here, phylogeography and population genetics were examined in the worldwide population of a small seabird, the little auk (dovekie, Alle alle )—the most numerous avian species of the Arctic ecosystem. Blood samples or feathers were collected from 328 little auks (325 from the nominate subspecies and 3 from the A. a. polaris ) in nine main breeding aggregations in the northern Atlantic and one location from the Pacific Ocean. The mtDNA haplotypes of the two subspecies were not segregated into separate groups. Also, no genetic structure was found within the nominate race based on microsatellite markers. The level of genetic differentiation among populations was low yet significant (mean F ST  = 0.005). Some pairwise F ST comparisons revealed significant differences, including those involving the most distant Pacific colony as well as among some Atlantic populations. Weak population differentiation following the model of isolation by distance in the little auk is similar to the patterns reported in other high-Arctic bird species, indicating that a lack of distinct genetic structure is a common phenomenon in the Arctic avifauna.
ISSN:0722-4060
1432-2056
DOI:10.1007/s00300-014-1462-5