Estimated six per cent loss of genetic variation in wild populations since the industrial revolution.

ABSTRACT: Genetic variation is fundamental to population fitness and adaptation to environmental change. Human activities are driving declines in many wild populations and could have similar effects on genetic variation. Despite the importance of estimating such declines, no global estimate of the magnitude of ongoing genetic variation loss has been conducted across species. By combining studies that quantified recent changes in genetic variation across a mean of 27 generations for 91 species, we conservatively estimate a 5.4%-6.5% decline in within-population genetic diversity of wild organisms since the industrial revolution. This loss has been most severe for island species, which show a 27.6% average decline. We identified taxonomic and geographical gaps in temporal studies that must be urgently

SUBMITTER: Leigh DM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6708419 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature