Fragmentation by major dams and implications for the future viability of platypus populations.

ABSTRACT: The evolutionarily unique platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) has experienced major declines and extinctions from a range of historical and recent interacting human-mediated threats. Although spending most of their time in the water, platypuses can move over land. Nevertheless, uncertainties remain whether dams are barriers to movement, thus limiting gene flow and dispersal, essential to evolution and ecology. Here we examined disruption of gene flow between platypus groups below and above five major dams, matched to four adjacent rivers without major dams. Genetic differentiation (F_ST) across dams was 4- to 20-fold higher than along similar stretches of adjacent undammed rivers; F_ST across dams was similar to differentiation between adjacent river systems. This indic

SUBMITTER: Mijangos JL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9633709 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature