Genome-wide analyses of population structure in a highly mobile large carnivore across Eurasia

Name: Genome-wide analyses of population structure in a highly mobile large carnivore across Eurasia
Start: 2025-10-08T14:00:00+02:00
Location: Večna pot 111, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

Schedule

Wed, 08 Oct, 2025 at 02:00 pm

UTC+02:00

Location

Večna pot 111, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia | Ljubljana, LB

Na Oddelku za biologijo Biotehniške fakultete v Ljubljani mesečno organiziramo strokovne seminarje s širokega področja ekologije in evolucije. Serija seminarjev, poimenovana Ecology & Evolution Doctoral Seminar Series, je namenjena raziskovalcem in doktorskim študentom ter vsem ostalim, ki jih teme zanimajo. Seminarji potekajo v živo na Oddelku za biologijo in v angleškem jeziku.
Vabimo vas na seminar z naslovom »Genome-wide analyses of population structure in a highly mobile large carnivore across Eurasia«. Predavala bo dr. Astrid Vik Stronen (Department of Biology, University of Ljubljana).
Seminar bo 8. oktobra ob 14.00 v predavalnici B4.
Vabljeni!
Kratek povzetek vsebine seminarja:
Large carnivores have a strong capacity for dispersal and have been known to travel several hundred kilometers. In some instances, we nevertheless observe genetic structure across relatively short distances, at times associated with environmental or physical boundaries, or with isolation and strong genetic drift. In the western part of Eurasia, gene flow might also be easier east-west than north-south, owing to natural features such as water and mountain ranges. The gray wolf (Canis lupus) is among the most widely distributed mammal species and may thus be expected to show limited genetic differentiation. Analyses of over 700 wolves genotyped with more than 170 000 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci detected population structure across Eurasia, yet relatively high gene flow in central and eastern Russia. However, populations in the Iberian, Italian and Scandinavian peninsulas showed distinct profiles suggesting protracted isolation and genetic drift. In contrast to recent findings from analyses of mitochondrial DNA, wolves from the Dinaric-Balkan region were clearly divergent from those sampled in the Carpathian Mountains. New genomic methods can help clarify the role of environmental and ecological factors in structuring genetic variation in wide-ranging species, including those that can take advantage of a wide variety of food resources.