Genome-wide dynamics of neutral and fitness-related variation in a pedigreed population of Florida Scrub-Jays undergoing regional decline

这项研究考察了濒临灭绝的佛罗里达灌木鸦种群数量下降的基因组后果，这种鸟类目前正在其整个范围内消失。利用一项对当地保护种群进行了43年的非凡研究，25年来采集的4000多只个体的DNA将使用9000多个遗传标记进行特征和比较。每个个体的祖先-后代谱系、行为和结构特征以及一生的生殖表现都有很好的记录。对于野生动物种群来说，在多个世代期间结合如此大的个体样本的现场和全基因组数据是史无前例的，这提供了绝佳的机会来1)测量不断收缩的种群如何随着时间的推移而发生遗传变化；2)将特定基因与与性能相关的属性的个体变异联系起来；3)确定导致近亲繁殖个体性能下降的基因组区域；以及4)记录迁移率的变化如何影响当地种群的遗传结构。总体而言，这一关于种群数量下降的纵向基因组特征有望成为有史以来在自由生活有机体中进行的最详细的研究。除了为保护遗传学提供广泛的信息外，这个项目尤其引人注目，因为在快速增长的人类种群中，佛罗里达灌木鸦是生物多样性保护的一个受欢迎的公共象征。随着当地人口的消失，对关于每个剩余人口的状况和生存能力的信息的需求增加。这项研究提供了测量残存种群遗传健康的方法，告知栖息地保护的优先事项，并帮助制定有效的易位策略，以拯救最严重濒危种群的遗传。所有年龄段的学生都将获得遗传方法方面的经验，并将在阿奇博尔德生物站和康奈尔鸟类学实验室进行推广。

This study examines genomic consequences of population decline within the endangered Florida Scrub-Jay, a bird species currently disappearing across its entire range. Capitalizing on a remarkable 43-year study of a locally protected population, DNA from 4,000+ individual jays sampled over 25 years will be characterized and compared using 9,000+ genetic markers. Ancestor-descendant pedigree, behavioral and structural characteristics, and lifetime reproductive performance for each individual are well documented. Combining field and whole-genome data for such a large sample of individuals over multiple generations is unprecedented for a wild animal population, providing exceptional opportunity to 1) measure how a contracting population changes genetically through time; 2) associate specific genes with individual variation in performance-related attributes; 3) identify areas of the genome responsible for reduced performance among inbred individuals; and 4) document how changes in immigration rate affect genetic structure of local populations. Overall, this longitudinal genomic characterization of a declining population promises to be the most detailed ever conducted in a free-living organism.Besides being broadly informative for conservation genetics, this project is especially compelling because the Florida Scrub-Jay is a popular public symbol for biodiversity conservation amidst rapidly growing human populations. As local populations disappear, demand increases for information about the condition and viability of each population that remains. This study provides the means to measure genetic health of remnant populations, informs habitat protection priorities, and helps prescribe effective translocation strategies for genetic rescue of the most critically endangered populations. Students of all ages will gain experience in genetic methods, and outreach will occur at Archbold Biological Station and through Cornell Lab of Ornithology.