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Evolution of fast-growing piscivorous herring in the young Baltic Sea
Jake Goodall1, Mats E Pettersson1, Ulf Bergström2
1Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
Nature Communications
|December 23, 2024
Summary
Atlantic herring evolved into new fish-eating ecotypes in the young Baltic Sea. This rapid diversification was driven by available ecological niches, not geographic isolation, highlighting niche expansion in biodiversity evolution.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Genomics
- Ecology
Background:
- Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) exhibits ecotypic variation linked to spawning time and local environmental adaptations.
- Understanding the drivers of species diversification into distinct lineages is a core biological question.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the genomic basis of sympatric speciation in Atlantic herring within the Baltic Sea.
- To determine the factors driving the evolution of piscivorous ecotypes in a postglacial environment.
Main Methods:
- Whole genome analysis of Atlantic herring populations.
- Comparative analysis of zooplanktivorous and piscivorous ecotypes.
Main Results:
- Multiple piscivorous herring populations evolved sympatrically in the Baltic Sea within the last 8000 years.
- Piscivorous ecotypes exhibit faster growth, larger size, and lower abundance compared to zooplanktivorous herring.
- Gill raker lesions suggest incomplete adaptation to a fish diet in the piscivorous ecotype.
Conclusions:
- Niche expansion into unoccupied predatory roles facilitated rapid herring diversification in the Baltic Sea.
- Empty niche space, rather than geographic isolation, appears to be a primary driver of biodiversity evolution in this system.
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