Search

Reconstruction of historical relationships between geographic regions within a species' range can indicate dispersal patterns and help predict future responses to shifts in climate. Ascaphus truei (coastal tailed frog) is an indicator species of the health of forests and perennial streams in the Coastal and Cascade Mountains of the Pacific Northwest of North America. We used two genetic techniques—microsatellite and genotype‐by‐sequencing (GBS)—to compare the within‐region genetic diversity of populations near the northern extent of the species' range (British Columbia, Canada) to two geographic regions in British Columbia and two in Washington, USA, moving toward the core of the range. Allelic richness and heterozygosity declined substantially as latitude increased. The northernmost region had the lowest mean expected heterozygosities for both techniques (microsatellite, M = 0.20, SE = 0.080; GBS, M = 0.025, SE = 0.0010) and the southernmost region had the highest (microsatellite, M = 0.88, SE = 0.054; GBS, M = 0.20, SE = 0.0029). The northernmost regions (NC and MC) clustered together in population structure models for both genetic techniques. Our discovery of reduced diversity may have important conservation and management implications for population connectivity and the response of A. truei to climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inferences made from molecular data support regional stock assessment goals by providing insights into the genetic population dynamics of enigmatic species. Population genomics metrics, such as genetic diversity and population connectivity, serve as useful proxies for species health and stability. Sleeper sharks (genus Somniosus) are ecologically important deep-sea predators, estimated to reach ages of 250 to 300 yr and taking decades to reach sexual maturity. The subgenus Somniosus (Somniosus) is comprised of 3 species: S. pacificus , S. microcephalus , and S. antarcticus. Given the life history strategy of somniosids, they are vulnerable to overfishing and population declines. Further, data to assess the stocks of these species are limited. To address this deficiency, we used the reduced representation library method Restriction-site Associated DNA sequencing (RADseq) to conduct phylogenomic and population genomics analyses, providing novel information for use in stock assessments. Our results strongly support the species status of S. microcephalus (N = 79), but recover S. antarcticus (N = 2) intermixed within the S. pacificus (N = 170) clade. Population genomics analyses reveal genetic homogeneity within S. pacificus and S. microcephalus , and estimates of effective population size were in the hundreds for both species. Kinship analysis identified 2 first-degree relative pairs within our dataset (1 within each species). Our results contribute new information for stock assessments of these uniquely long-lived species by providing the strongest molecular evidence to date for the synonymization of S. antarcticus and S. pacificus , as well as estimating population genomic metrics for each supported species within the Somniosus (Somniosus) subgenus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]