Assessment of the genetic diversity of Atlantic bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) strandings in the Mississippi Sound (USA).

ABSTRACT: The common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) is a key marine mammal species in the Gulf of Mexico, playing an essential role as a top predator. This study investigates the genetic diversity and population structure of bottlenose dolphins stranded in the Mississippi Sound from 2010 to 2021. Tissue samples (muscle, liver, lung, kidney, and brain) were collected from 511 stranded dolphins, and mitochondrial DNAs (mtDNA) were extracted for analysis. A total of 417 samples were successfully amplified and sequenced using high throughput sequencing, yielding 386 complete mitogenomes. Genetic diversity metrics, such as nucleotide and haplotype diversity, were calculated, and population structure was inferred for both mitochondrial control region (mtCR) and whole mitogenome sequences. Using t

SUBMITTER: Arick Ii MA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12194042 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature