Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) and leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx) de novo genomes to study the demographic history and genetic diversity of southern seals

<p>Background: The Monachinae, or southern seals, are one of two subfamilies within the Phocidae and are home</p><p>to iconic pinnipeds such as the leopard seal, a fierce Antarctic top predator, and the Mediterranean monk seal, one</p><p>of the world’s most endangered m...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Nebenführ, Marcel, Hamadou, Alexander Ben, Aguilar, Àlex, Borrell Thió, Assumpció, Gkafas, Georgios A., Janke, Axel
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2025
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Barcelona
Repositorio:Dipòsit Digital de la UB
OAI Identifier:oai:diposit.ub.edu:2445/227917
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/2445/227917
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Genomes
ADN mitocondrial
Foques
Pinnípedes
Mitochondrial DNA
Seals (Animals)
Pinnipedia
id ES_705c9c38fa12661d42e0d4e8dc25a747
oai_identifier_str oai:diposit.ub.edu:2445/227917
network_acronym_str ES
network_name_str España
repository_id_str
spelling Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) and leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx) de novo genomes to study the demographic history and genetic diversity of southern sealsNebenführ, MarcelHamadou, Alexander BenAguilar, ÀlexBorrell Thió, AssumpcióGkafas, Georgios A.Janke, AxelGenomesADN mitocondrialFoquesPinnípedesGenomesMitochondrial DNASeals (Animals)Pinnipedia<p>Background: The Monachinae, or southern seals, are one of two subfamilies within the Phocidae and are home</p><p>to iconic pinnipeds such as the leopard seal, a fierce Antarctic top predator, and the Mediterranean monk seal, one</p><p>of the world’s most endangered mammals. These two species are difficult to study and sample, due to their hidden</p><p>lives in extreme environments or, in case of the monk seal, their critically reduced population sizes; consequently,</p><p>genetic data from these two species is scarce. However, cost developments and advances in genome sequencing</p><p>have made it possible to generate continuous genome assemblies from DNA of even stranded individuals, allowing</p><p>to assemble the first reference genomes of such rarely observed species.</p><p>Results: In this study, we have sequenced the genomes of the leopard seal and the Mediterranean monk seal using</p><p>PacBio’s CCS technology to assemble the very first genomes for these species. Four additional Mediterranean monk</p><p>seal individuals were sequenced using Illumina short-read technology. These data allowed analysis of their demography</p><p>and genomic diversity based on whole-genome data, confirming low genetic variability and small numbers</p><p>of individuals for the Mauritanian population of the Mediterranean monk seal. In contrast, the relatively abundant</p><p>leopard seal shows a high degree of heterozygosity, comparable in the range of other common carnivores.</p><p>Conclusions: The first genome assemblies for these seals will lay the groundwork for population-level and other studies</p><p>to better understand their evolutionary history and biology and to aid conservation efforts.</p>BioMed Central2025info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionapplication/pdfhttps://hdl.handle.net/2445/227917Articles publicats en revistes (Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals)reponame:Dipòsit Digital de la UBinstname:Universidad de BarcelonaInglésReproducció del document publicat a: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12915-025-02207-wBMC Biology, 2025, vol. 23, num.102https://doi.org/10.1186/s12915-025-02207-wcc-by (c) Nebenführ, M. et al., 2025http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:diposit.ub.edu:2445/2279172026-05-27T06:46:51Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) and leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx) de novo genomes to study the demographic history and genetic diversity of southern seals
title Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) and leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx) de novo genomes to study the demographic history and genetic diversity of southern seals
spellingShingle Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) and leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx) de novo genomes to study the demographic history and genetic diversity of southern seals
Nebenführ, Marcel
Genomes
ADN mitocondrial
Foques
Pinnípedes
Genomes
Mitochondrial DNA
Seals (Animals)
Pinnipedia
title_short Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) and leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx) de novo genomes to study the demographic history and genetic diversity of southern seals
title_full Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) and leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx) de novo genomes to study the demographic history and genetic diversity of southern seals
title_fullStr Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) and leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx) de novo genomes to study the demographic history and genetic diversity of southern seals
title_full_unstemmed Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) and leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx) de novo genomes to study the demographic history and genetic diversity of southern seals
title_sort Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) and leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx) de novo genomes to study the demographic history and genetic diversity of southern seals
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Nebenführ, Marcel
Hamadou, Alexander Ben
Aguilar, Àlex
Borrell Thió, Assumpció
Gkafas, Georgios A.
Janke, Axel
author Nebenführ, Marcel
author_facet Nebenführ, Marcel
Hamadou, Alexander Ben
Aguilar, Àlex
Borrell Thió, Assumpció
Gkafas, Georgios A.
Janke, Axel
author_role author
author2 Hamadou, Alexander Ben
Aguilar, Àlex
Borrell Thió, Assumpció
Gkafas, Georgios A.
Janke, Axel
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Genomes
ADN mitocondrial
Foques
Pinnípedes
Genomes
Mitochondrial DNA
Seals (Animals)
Pinnipedia
topic Genomes
ADN mitocondrial
Foques
Pinnípedes
Genomes
Mitochondrial DNA
Seals (Animals)
Pinnipedia
description <p>Background: The Monachinae, or southern seals, are one of two subfamilies within the Phocidae and are home</p><p>to iconic pinnipeds such as the leopard seal, a fierce Antarctic top predator, and the Mediterranean monk seal, one</p><p>of the world’s most endangered mammals. These two species are difficult to study and sample, due to their hidden</p><p>lives in extreme environments or, in case of the monk seal, their critically reduced population sizes; consequently,</p><p>genetic data from these two species is scarce. However, cost developments and advances in genome sequencing</p><p>have made it possible to generate continuous genome assemblies from DNA of even stranded individuals, allowing</p><p>to assemble the first reference genomes of such rarely observed species.</p><p>Results: In this study, we have sequenced the genomes of the leopard seal and the Mediterranean monk seal using</p><p>PacBio’s CCS technology to assemble the very first genomes for these species. Four additional Mediterranean monk</p><p>seal individuals were sequenced using Illumina short-read technology. These data allowed analysis of their demography</p><p>and genomic diversity based on whole-genome data, confirming low genetic variability and small numbers</p><p>of individuals for the Mauritanian population of the Mediterranean monk seal. In contrast, the relatively abundant</p><p>leopard seal shows a high degree of heterozygosity, comparable in the range of other common carnivores.</p><p>Conclusions: The first genome assemblies for these seals will lay the groundwork for population-level and other studies</p><p>to better understand their evolutionary history and biology and to aid conservation efforts.</p>
publishDate 2025
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2025
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv https://hdl.handle.net/2445/227917
url https://hdl.handle.net/2445/227917
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv Reproducció del document publicat a: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12915-025-02207-w
BMC Biology, 2025, vol. 23, num.102
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12915-025-02207-w
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv cc-by (c) Nebenführ, M. et al., 2025
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv cc-by (c) Nebenführ, M. et al., 2025
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv BioMed Central
publisher.none.fl_str_mv BioMed Central
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv Articles publicats en revistes (Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals)
reponame:Dipòsit Digital de la UB
instname:Universidad de Barcelona
instname_str Universidad de Barcelona
reponame_str Dipòsit Digital de la UB
collection Dipòsit Digital de la UB
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
_version_ 1869410575327428608
score 15.811543