Gould's Petrel
Iglesias-Vasquez A., Gangloff B., Ruault S., Ribout C., Priddel D. Carlile N., Friesen V.L., Cibois A. & Bretagnolle V., in press. Population expansion, current and past gene flow in Gould’s Petrel: implications for conservation. Conserv. Genet.
Abstract: Seabird life-history traits such as long generation time, low annual fecundity and delayed sexual maturation make them more prone to population loss and consequently to extinction; petrels are indeed amongst the most threatened birds. Based on coalescence and multiloci inference this study examines the extent of genetic differentiation of a vulnerable New Caledonia (caledonica) and Australia (leucoptera) subspecies of Pterodroma leucoptera (Gould’s Petrel), and whether the genetic relationship between them results from the influence of past events like variation in sea level, or is dominated by contemporary gene flow. Sequences of two mitochondrial genes and five nuclear introns were obtained from 86 individuals from both populations. Haplotype networks were used to infer relationships between the haplotypes of both populations. The demographic history of the P. leucoptera complex was studied using neutrality tests and Extended Bayesian Skyline Plots. A weak population differentiation was revealed. The Extended Bayesian Skyline plot suggested a population expansion approximately 80,000 years before present (bp) for caledonica and 30,000 years bp for leucoptera. The split was dated to 30,000 years bp by means of multilocus inference through *BEAST. Despite genetic similarity of the two taxa, we advocate to consider them as independent units for conservation management, given their strong ecological distinctiveness (foraging distribution, winter distribution, breeding phenology and breeding distribution).
