Population structure of Dugong dugon across the Indo-Pacific revealed by historical mitogenomes

Furness, Lydia Hildebrand; Kersten, Oliver; Boilard, Aurélie; Keith-Diagne, Lucy; Brito, Cristina; Barrett, James H; Kitchener, Andrew C; Sabin, Richard; Lavery, Shane; Plà¶n, Stephanie; Star, Bastiaan

Population structure of Dugong dugon across the Indo-Pacific revealed by historical mitogenomes

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Furness, Lydia Hildebrand

ORCID

Kersten, Oliver

Boilard, Aurélie

Keith-Diagne, Lucy

Brito, Cristina

Barrett, James H

ORCID

Kitchener, Andrew C

ORCID

Sabin, Richard

Lavery, Shane

Plà¶n, Stephanie

ORCID

Star, Bastiaan

ORCID

Date published

August 2024

Abstract

Sirenia,an iconic marine taxon with a tropical and subtropical worldwide distribution, face an uncertain future. All species are designated ‘Vulnerable’ to extinction by the IUCN. Nonetheless, a comprehensive understanding of geographic structuring across the global range is lacking, impeding our ability to highlight particularly vulnerable populations for conservation priority. Here, we use ancient DNA to investigate dugong ( ) population structure, analysing 56 mitogenomes from specimens comprising the known historical range. Our results reveal geographically structured and distinct monophyletic clades characterized by contrasting evolutionary histories. We observe deep-rooted and divergent lineages in the East (Indo-Pacific) and obtain new evidence for the relatively recent dispersal of dugongs into the western Indian Ocean. All populations are significantly differentiated from each other with western populations having approximately 10-fold lower levels of genetic variation than eastern Indo-Pacific populations. Additionally, we find a significant temporal loss of genetic diversity in western Indian Ocean dugongs since the mid-twentieth century, as well as a decline in population size beginning approximately 1000 years ago. Our results add to the growing body of evidence that dugong populations are becoming ever more susceptible to ongoing human action and glob al climate change.