RT journal article
T1 Ancient DNA SNP-panel data suggests stability in bluefin tuna genetic diversity despite centuries of fluctuating catches in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean
A1 Andrews, Adam J.
A1 Puncher, Gregory N.
A1 Bernal Casasola, Darío
A1 Di Natale, Antonio
A1 Massari, Francesco
A1 Onar, Vedat
A1 Yaşar Toker, Nezir
A1 Hanke, Alex
A1 Pavey, Scott A.
A1 Savojardo, Castrense
A1 Martelli, Pier Luigi
A1 Casadio, Rita
A1 Cilli, Elisabetta
A1 Morales‑Muñiz, Arturo
A1 Mantovani, Barbara
A1 Tinti, Fausto
A1 Cariani, Alessia
A2 HistoriaGeografía y Filosofía
AB Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus; BFT) abundance was depleted in the late 20th and early 21st century due to overfishing. Historical catch records further indicate that the abundance of BFT in the Mediterranean has been fluctuating since at least the 16th century. Here we build upon previous work on ancient DNA of BFT in the Mediterranean by comparing contemporary (2009-2012) specimens with archival (1911-1926) and archaeological (2nd century BCE-15th century CE) specimens that represent population states prior to these two major periods of exploitation, respectively. We successfully genotyped and analysed 259 contemporary and 123 historical (91 archival and 32 archaeological) specimens at 92 SNP loci that were selected for their ability to differentiate contemporary populations or their association with core biological functions. We found no evidence of genetic bottlenecks, inbreeding or population restructuring between temporal sample groups that might explain what has driven catch fluctuations since the 16th century. We also detected a putative adaptive response, involving the cytoskeletal protein synemin which may be related to muscle stress. However, these results require further investigation with more extensive genome-wide data to rule out demographic changes due to overfishing, and other natural and anthropogenic factors, in addition to elucidating the adaptive drivers related to these.
PB NATURE RESEARCH
SN 2045-2322
YR 2021
FD 2021-10
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10498/25881
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10498/25881
LA eng
NO We thank two anonymous reviewers whose comments improved the quality of the manuscript. This work was carried out under the provision of the FARB Project (University of Bologna), the ICCAT Atlantic Wide Research Programme for Bluefin Tuna (GBYP) Data Recovery Plan, the International Governance Strategy of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (F5211-180183 and F5211-160166), and the MARES Joint Doctorate programme selected under Erasmus Mundus and coordinated by Ghent University (Grant Number: FPA 2011-0016). This work is also a contribution to the MSCA SeaChanges ITN and was part-funded by EU Horizon 2020 (Grant Number: 813383).
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Cádiz
RD 13-nov-2026