Comparative Genetic Diversity of Landlocked Seals


Meschersky S.I. Meschersky I.G. Solovyeva M.A. Kryukova N.V. Magomedov M.R.D. Klimov F.V. Rozhnov V.V.
April 2025

Doklady Biological Sciences
2025#521Issue 1102 - 106 pp.

Abstract: Genetic diversity of neutral markers (15 microsatellite loci) was assessed for the first time in two landlocked seal species, the Baikal seal Pusa sibirica and Caspian seal P. caspica, and compared with that in the oceanic species ringed seal P. hispida of the same genus. Lower genetic diversity was observed in both of the landlocked seal species, the Baikal seal having the lowest level. A high probability of a historical bottleneck effect was shown for both Baikal and Caspian seals, while signs of a sharp decline in the past were not observed in the ringed seal population. A data analysis with the VarEff package suggested different times to the most recent common ancestor (TMRCA) for each of the three populations. The time established for the Baikal seal was significantly shorter than that of the Caspian seal.

Baikal seal , Caspian seal , genetic diversity , historical bottleneck , microsatellite loci , Pusa caspica , Pusa hispida , Pusa sibirica , ringed seal , TMRCA , VarEff

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Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation
Caspian Institute of Biological Resources, Daghestan Federal Research Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Makhachkala, Russian Federation
“Kazakhstan Agency of Applied Ecology” LLP, Almaty, Kazakhstan

Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution
Caspian Institute of Biological Resources
“Kazakhstan Agency of Applied Ecology” LLP

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