Myth or relict: Does ancient DNA detect the enigmatic Upland seal?

Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution
Alexander T SalisNicolas J Rawlence

Abstract

The biological status of the so-called 'Upland seal' has remained contentious ever since historical records described a distinct seal from the uplands of New Zealand's (NZ) remote sub-Antarctic islands. Subsequent genetic surveys of the NZ fur seal (Arctocephalus forsteri) detected two highly-divergent mtDNA clades, hypothesized to represent a post-sealing hybrid swarm between 'mainland' (Australia-NZ; A. forsteri) and sub-Antarctic (putative 'Upland'; A. snaresensis) lineages. We present ancient-DNA analyses of prehistoric mainland NZ and sub-Antarctic fur seals, revealing that both of these genetic lineages were already widely distributed across the region at the time of human arrival. These findings indicate that anthropogenic factors did not contribute to the admixture of these lineages, and cast doubt on the validity of the Upland seal. Human-mediated impacts on Arctocephalus genetic diversity are instead highlighted by a dramatic temporal haplotype frequency-shift due to genetic drift in heavily bottlenecked populations following the cessation of industrial-scale harvesting. These extinction-recolonisation dynamics add to a growing picture of human-mediated change in NZ's coastal and marine ecosystems.

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Citations

May 26, 2017·Mitochondrial DNA. Part A. DNA Mapping, Sequencing, and Analysis·Arsalan Emami-KhoyiTerry-Ann Else
Sep 13, 2019·Molecular Biology and Evolution·Xénia KeighleyHilmar J Malmquist
Jul 11, 2018·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Frederik V SeersholmMichael Bunce

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