Partial genomic survival of cave bears in living brown bears.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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In: Nature Ecology and Evolution, Vol. 2, 27.08.2018, p. pages 1563–1570.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Partial genomic survival of cave bears in living brown bears.
AU - Barlow, Axel
AU - Cahill, James A.
AU - Hartmann, Stefanie
AU - Theunert, Christoph
AU - Xenikoudakis, Georgios
AU - Fortes, Gloria G.
AU - Paijmans, Johanna
AU - Rabeder, Gernot
AU - Frischauf, Christine
AU - Grandal-d'Anglade, Aurora
AU - García-Vázquez, Ana
AU - Murtskhvaladze, Marine
AU - Saarma, Urmas
AU - Anijalg, Peeter
AU - Skrbinšek, Tomaz
AU - Bertorelle, Giorgio
AU - Gasparian, Boris
AU - Bar-Oz, Guy
AU - Pinhasi, Ron
AU - Slatkin, Montgomery
AU - Dalén, Love
AU - Shapiro, Beth
AU - Hofreiter, Michael
PY - 2018/8/27
Y1 - 2018/8/27
N2 - Although many large mammal species went extinct at the end of the Pleistocene epoch, their DNA may persist due to past episodes of interspecies admixture. However, direct empirical evidence of the persistence of ancient alleles remains scarce. Here, we present multifold coverage genomic data from four Late Pleistocene cave bears (Ursus spelaeus complex) and show that cave bears hybridized with brown bears (Ursus arctos) during the Pleistocene. We develop an approach to assess both the directionality and relative timing of gene flow. We find that segments of cave bear DNA still persist in the genomes of living brown bears, with cave bears contributing 0.9 to 2.4% of the genomes of all brown bears investigated. Our results show that even though extinction is typically considered as absolute, following admixture, fragments of the gene pool of extinct species can survive for tens of thousands of years in the genomes of extant recipient species.
AB - Although many large mammal species went extinct at the end of the Pleistocene epoch, their DNA may persist due to past episodes of interspecies admixture. However, direct empirical evidence of the persistence of ancient alleles remains scarce. Here, we present multifold coverage genomic data from four Late Pleistocene cave bears (Ursus spelaeus complex) and show that cave bears hybridized with brown bears (Ursus arctos) during the Pleistocene. We develop an approach to assess both the directionality and relative timing of gene flow. We find that segments of cave bear DNA still persist in the genomes of living brown bears, with cave bears contributing 0.9 to 2.4% of the genomes of all brown bears investigated. Our results show that even though extinction is typically considered as absolute, following admixture, fragments of the gene pool of extinct species can survive for tens of thousands of years in the genomes of extant recipient species.
U2 - 10.1038/s41559-018-0654-8
DO - 10.1038/s41559-018-0654-8
M3 - Article
VL - 2
SP - 1563
EP - 1570
JO - Nature Ecology and Evolution
JF - Nature Ecology and Evolution
SN - 2397-334X
ER -