1. High connectivity in a long-lived high-Arctic seabird, the ivory gull Pagophila eburnea
- Author
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R. I. Guy Morrison, Maria Gavrilo, Olivier Gilg, Mark L. Mallory, Hallvard Strøm, Jonathan M. Yearsley, Adrian Aebischer, Glenn Yannic, Thomas Broquet, H. Grant Gilchrist, Christophe Dufresnes, Roberto Sermier, Université Laval, Université de Moncton, Groupe de recherche en écologie arctique ( GREA ), University College Dublin [Dublin] ( UCD ), Université de Lausanne ( UNIL ), Biogéosciences [Dijon] ( BGS ), AgroSup Dijon - Institut National Supérieur des Sciences Agronomiques, de l'Alimentation et de l'Environnement-Université de Bourgogne ( UB ) -Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique ( CNRS ), Museum of Natural History Fribourg, National Park Russian Arctic, Joint Directorate of Taimyr Nature Reserves, Norwegian Polar Institute, Acadia University, Wolfville, National Wildlife Research Center, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Department of Biology, Carleton University ( Carleton University ), Carleton University, Adaptation et diversité en milieu marin ( ADMM ), Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 ( UPMC ) -Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique ( CNRS ), DIVersité et COnnectivité dans le paysage marin côtier ( DIVCO ), Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 ( UPMC ) -Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique ( CNRS ) -Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 ( UPMC ) -Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique ( CNRS ), Université Laval [Québec] (ULaval), Groupe de recherche en écologie arctique (GREA), University College Dublin [Dublin] (UCD), Université de Lausanne (UNIL), Biogéosciences [UMR 6282] [Dijon] (BGS), Université de Bourgogne (UB)-AgroSup Dijon - Institut National Supérieur des Sciences Agronomiques, de l'Alimentation et de l'Environnement-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Acadia University, Department of Biology, Carleton University (Carleton University), Adaptation et diversité en milieu marin (AD2M), Station biologique de Roscoff [Roscoff] (SBR), Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), DIVersité et COnnectivité dans le paysage marin côtier (DIVCO), Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Station biologique de Roscoff [Roscoff] (SBR), Université de Lausanne = University of Lausanne (UNIL), Biogéosciences [UMR 6282] (BGS), and Université de Bourgogne (UB)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,0301 basic medicine ,Breeding dispersal ,Natal dispersal ,Range (biology) ,Population ,Metapopulation ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,03 medical and health sciences ,[SDV.EE.ECO]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology, environment/Ecosystems ,biology.animal ,Genetic model ,Effective number of breeders ,Population genetic structure ,14. Life underwater ,education ,education.field_of_study ,[SDV.GEN.GPO]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Genetics/Populations and Evolution [q-bio.PE] ,biology ,Ecology ,[ SDV.EE.ECO ] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology, environment/Ecosystems ,[ SDV.GEN.GPO ] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Genetics/Populations and Evolution [q-bio.PE] ,030104 developmental biology ,Arctic ,Genetic structure ,embryonic structures ,Biological dispersal ,Seabird ,General Agricultural and Biological Sciences ,Overlapping generation model - Abstract
International audience; Species may cope with rapid habitat changes by distribution shifts or adaptation to new conditions. A common feature of these responses is that they depend on how the process of dispersal connects populations, both demographically and genetically. We analyzed the genetic structure of a near-threatened high-Arctic seabird, the ivory gull (Pagophila eburnea) in order to infer the connectivity among gull colonies. We analyzed 343 individuals sampled from 16 localities across the circumpolar breeding range of ivory gulls, from northern Russia to the Canadian Arctic. To explore the roles of natal and breeding dispersal, we developed a population genetic model to relate dispersal behavior to the observed genetic structure of worldwide ivory gull populations. Our key finding is the striking genetic homogeneity of ivory gulls across their entire distribution range. The lack of population genetic structure found among colonies, in tandem with independent evidence of movement among colonies, suggests that ongoing effective dispersal is occurring across the Arctic Region. Our results contradict the dispersal patterns generally observed in seabirds where species movement capabilities are often not indicative of dispersal patterns. Model predictions show how natal and breeding dispersal may combine to shape the genetic homogeneity among ivory gull colonies separated by up to 2800 km. Although field data will be key to determine the role of dispersal for the demography of local colonies and refine the respective impacts of natal versus breeding dispersal, conservation planning needs to consider ivory gulls as a genetically homogeneous, Arctic-wide metapopulation effectively connected through dispersal.
- Published
- 2016
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