TY  - JOUR
A1  - Thomas, Jessica E.
A1  - Carvalho, Gary R.
A1  - Haile, James
A1  - Rawlence, Nicolas J.
A1  - Martin, Michael D.
A1  - Ho, Simon Y. W.
A1  - Sigfusson, Arnor P.
A1  - Josefsson, Vigfus A.
A1  - Frederiksen, Morten
A1  - Linnebjerg, Jannie F.
A1  - Castruita, Jose A. Samaniego
A1  - Niemann, Jonas
A1  - Sinding, Mikkel-Holger S.
A1  - Sandoval-Velasco, Marcela
A1  - Soares, Andre E. R.
A1  - Lacy, Robert
A1  - Barilaro, Christina
A1  - Best, Juila
A1  - Brandis, Dirk
A1  - Cavallo, Chiara
A1  - Elorza, Mikelo
A1  - Garrett, Kimball L.
A1  - Groot, Maaike
A1  - Johansson, Friederike
A1  - Lifjeld, Jan T.
A1  - Nilson, Goran
A1  - Serjeanston, Dale
A1  - Sweet, Paul
A1  - Fuller, Errol
A1  - Hufthammer, Anne Karin
A1  - Meldgaard, Morten
A1  - Fjeldsa, Jon
A1  - Shapiro, Beth
A1  - Hofreiter, Michael
A1  - Stewart, John R.
A1  - Gilbert, M. Thomas P.
A1  - Knapp, Michael
T1  - Demographic reconstruction from ancient DNA supports rapid extinction of the great auk
JF  - eLife
N2  - The great auk was once abundant and distributed across the North Atlantic. It is now extinct, having been heavily exploited for its eggs, meat, and feathers. We investigated the impact of human hunting on its demise by integrating genetic data, GPS-based ocean current data, and analyses of population viability. We sequenced complete mitochondrial genomes of 41 individuals from across the species' geographic range and reconstructed population structure and population dynamics throughout the Holocene. Taken together, our data do not provide any evidence that great auks were at risk of extinction prior to the onset of intensive human hunting in the early 16th century. In addition, our population viability analyses reveal that even if the great auk had not been under threat by environmental change, human hunting alone could have been sufficient to cause its extinction. Our results emphasise the vulnerability of even abundant and widespread species to intense and localised exploitation.
Y1  - 2019
U6  - https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.47509
SN  - 2050-084X
VL  - 8
PB  - eLife Sciences Publications
CY  - Cambridge
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Barnett, Ross
A1  - Westbury, Michael V.
A1  - Sandoval-Velasco, Marcela
A1  - Vieira, Filipe Garrett
A1  - Jeon, Sungwon
A1  - Zazula, Grant
A1  - Martin, Michael D.
A1  - Ho, Simon Y. W.
A1  - Mather, Niklas
A1  - Gopalakrishnan, Shyam
A1  - Ramos-Madrigal, Jazmin
A1  - de Manuel, Marc
A1  - Zepeda-Mendoza, M. Lisandra
A1  - Antunes, Agostinho
A1  - Baez, Aldo Carmona
A1  - De Cahsan, Binia
A1  - Larson, Greger
A1  - O'Brien, Stephen J.
A1  - Eizirik, Eduardo
A1  - Johnson, Warren E.
A1  - Koepfli, Klaus-Peter
A1  - Wilting, Andreas
A1  - Fickel, Jörns
A1  - Dalen, Love
A1  - Lorenzen, Eline D.
A1  - Marques-Bonet, Tomas
A1  - Hansen, Anders J.
A1  - Zhang, Guojie
A1  - Bhak, Jong
A1  - Yamaguchi, Nobuyuki
A1  - Gilbert, M. Thomas P.
T1  - Genomic adaptations and evolutionary history of the extinct scimitar-toothed cat
BT  - Homotherium latidens
JF  - Current biology
N2  - Homotherium was a genus of large-bodied scimitar-toothed cats, morphologically distinct from any extant felid species, that went extinct at the end of the Pleistocene [1-4]. They possessed large, saber-form serrated canine teeth, powerful forelimbs, a sloping back, and an enlarged optic bulb, all of which were key characteristics for predation on Pleistocene megafauna [5]. Previous mitochondrial DNA phylogenies suggested that it was a highly divergent sister lineage to all extant cat species [6-8]. However, mitochondrial phylogenies can be misled by hybridization [9], incomplete lineage sorting (ILS), or sex-biased dispersal patterns [10], which might be especially relevant for Homotherium since widespread mito-nuclear discrepancies have been uncovered in modern cats [10]. To examine the evolutionary history of Homotherium, we generated a -7x nuclear genome and a similar to 38x exome from H. latidens using shotgun and target-capture sequencing approaches. Phylogenetic analyses reveal Homotherium as highly divergent (similar to 22.5 Ma) from living cat species, with no detectable signs of gene flow. Comparative genomic analyses found signatures of positive selection in several genes, including those involved in vision, cognitive function, and energy consumption, putatively consistent with diurnal activity, well-developed social behavior, and cursorial hunting [5]. Finally, we uncover relatively high levels of genetic diversity, suggesting that Homotherium may have been more abundant than the limited fossil record suggests [3, 4, 11-14]. Our findings complement and extend previous inferences from both the fossil record and initial molecular studies, enhancing our understanding of the evolution and ecology of this remarkable lineage.
Y1  - 2020
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2020.09.051
SN  - 0960-9822
SN  - 1879-0445
VL  - 30
IS  - 24
PB  - Cell Press
CY  - Cambridge
ER  -