Phylogenomics and species delimitation for effective conservation of manta and devil rays
File version
Version of Record (VoR)
Author(s)
Humble, Emily
Ogden, Rob
de Bruyn, Mark
Creer, Simon
Stevens, Guy MW
Abudaya, Mohammed
Bassos-Hull, Kim
Bonfil, Ramon
Fernando, Daniel
Foote, Andrew D
Hipperson, Helen
Jabado, Rima W
Kaden, Jennifer
Moazzam, Muhammad
et al.
Griffith University Author(s)
Primary Supervisor
Other Supervisors
Editor(s)
Date
Size
File type(s)
Location
License
Abstract
Practical biodiversity conservation relies on delineation of biologically meaningful units. Manta and devil rays (Mobulidae) are threatened worldwide, yet morphological similarities and a succession of recent taxonomic changes impede the development of an effective conservation strategy. Here, we generate genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data from a geographically and taxonomically representative set of manta and devil ray samples to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships and evaluate species boundaries under the general lineage concept. We show that nominal species units supported by alternative data sources constitute independently evolving lineages, and find robust evidence for a putative new species of manta ray in the Gulf of Mexico. Additionally, we uncover substantial incomplete lineage sorting indicating that rapid speciation together with standing variation in ancestral populations has driven phylogenetic uncertainty within Mobulidae. Finally, we detect cryptic diversity in geographically distinct populations, demonstrating that management below the species level may be warranted in certain species. Overall, our study provides a framework for molecular genetic species delimitation that is relevant to wide-ranging taxa of conservation concern, and highlights the potential for genomic data to support effective management, conservation and law enforcement strategies.
Journal Title
Molecular Ecology
Conference Title
Book Title
Edition
Volume
29
Issue
24
Thesis Type
Degree Program
School
Publisher link
Patent number
Funder(s)
Grant identifier(s)
Rights Statement
Rights Statement
© 2020 The Authors. Molecular Ecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Item Access Status
Note
Access the data
Related item(s)
Subject
Science & Technology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ecology
Evolutionary Biology
Persistent link to this record
Citation
Hosegood, J; Humble, E; Ogden, R; de Bruyn, M; Creer, S; Stevens, GMW; Abudaya, M; Bassos-Hull, K; Bonfil, R; Fernando, D; Foote, AD; Hipperson, H; Jabado, RW; Kaden, J; Moazzam, M; Peel, LR; Pollett, S; Ponzo, A; Poortvliet, M; Salah, J; Senn, H; Stewart, JD; Wintner, S; Carvalho, G, Phylogenomics and species delimitation for effective conservation of manta and devil rays, Molecular Ecology, 2020, 29 (24), pp. 4783-4796