Global spatiotemporal patterns of demographic fluctuations in terrestrial vertebrates during the Late Pleistocene.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 40408474.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1126/sciadv.adq3938 and PMC identifier 12101494.
- Licence recorded as CC BY-NC.
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Abstract
Demographic fluctuations are crucial for assessing species' threat levels, yet their global spatiotemporal patterns and historical drivers remain unknown. Here, we used single whole-genome sequence data for 527 extant and widespread terrestrial vertebrates to investigate their demographic fluctuations during the Late Pleistocene. Effective population size (<i>N</i><sub>e</sub>) simulations indicated that all taxa experienced a population decline from the Last Interglacial to the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). After the LGM, birds and amphibians underwent population expansion, whereas mammals and reptiles' populations declined. Regions with high <i>N</i><sub>e</sub> shifted from Neotropical to Afrotropical and to Palearctic, some overlapping with recognized glacial refugia and biodiversity hotspots. In addition, climate-related factors exerted long-term effects on <i>N</i><sub>e</sub>, while human disturbances might confine to specific regions around the Pleistocene-Holocene boundary. This study underscores the significance of quantifying vertebrate genetic vulnerability to guide biodiversity conservation in response to environmental changes.
Medical subject headings
- Vertebrates