Boom-bust population dynamics drive rapid genetic change.

ABSTRACT: Increasing environmental threats and more extreme environmental perturbations place species at risk of population declines, with associated loss of genetic diversity and evolutionary potential. While theory shows that rapid population declines can cause loss of genetic diversity, populations in some environments, like Australia's arid zone, are repeatedly subject to major population fluctuations yet persist and appear able to maintain genetic diversity. Here, we use repeated population sampling over 13 y and genotype-by-sequencing of 1903 individuals to investigate the genetic consequences of repeated population fluctuations in two small mammals in the Australian arid zone. The sandy inland mouse (Pseudomys hermannsburgensis) experiences marked boom-bust population dynamics in respo

SUBMITTER: Stringer EJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11067018 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature