Journal
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Volume 288, Issue 1954, Pages -Publisher
ROYAL SOC
DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.0754
Keywords
Chelonia mydas; genetic structure; candidate genes; melanism; eastern Pacific; conservation genomics
Categories
Funding
- CONICYT [21160168]
- Nucleo Milenio de Ecologia y Manejo Sustentable de Islas Oceanicas (ESMOI)
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This study used a genome approach to uncover the genetic and ecological differences between shape-based morphotypes of the green turtle in the Pacific Ocean, supporting the uniqueness of the black turtle at the genetic level and its adaptation to the environment. These findings contribute to the research in evolutionary biology and conservation genomics.
Marine species may exhibit genetic structure accompanied by phenotypic differentiation related to adaptation despite their high mobility. Two shape-based morphotypes have been identified for the green turtle (Chelonia mydas) in the Pacific Ocean: the south-central/western or yellow turtle and north-central/eastern or black turtle. The genetic differentiation between these morphotypes and the adaptation of the black turtle to environmentally contrasting conditions of the eastern Pacific region has remained a mystery for decades. Here we addressed both questions using a reduced-representation genome approach (Dartseq; 9473 neutral SNPs) and identifying candidate outlier loci (67 outlier SNPs) of biological relevance between shape-based morphotypes from eight Pacific foraging grounds (n = 158). Our results support genetic divergence between morphotypes, probably arising from strong natal homing behaviour. Genes and enriched biological functions linked to thermoregulation, hypoxia, melanism, morphogenesis, osmoregulation, diet and reproduction were found to be outliers for differentiation, providing evidence for adaptation of C. mydas to the eastern Pacific region and suggesting independent evolutionary trajectories of the shape-based morphotypes. Our findings support the evolutionary distinctness of the enigmatic black turtle and contribute to the adaptive research and conservation genomics of a long-lived and highly mobile vertebrate.
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