Ancient DNA suggests a historical demographic decline and genetic erosion in the Atlantic bluefin tuna.

ABSTRACT: Overexploitation has depleted fish stocks during the past century; nonetheless, its genomic consequences remain poorly understood for most species. Characterizing the spatiotemporal patterns of these consequences may provide baseline estimates of past diversity and productivity to aid management targets, help predict future dynamics, and facilitate the identification of evolutionary factors limiting fish population recovery. Here, we evaluate human impacts on the evolution of the iconic Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus), one of the longest and most intensely exploited marine fishes, with a tremendous cultural and economic importance. We sequenced whole genomes from modern (n = 49) and ancient (n = 41) specimens dating up to 5,000 y ago, uncovering several findings. First, we i

SUBMITTER: Andrews AJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12130816 | biostudies-literature | 2025 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature