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Mitochondrial and microsatellite assessment of population structure of South American sea lion (Otaria flavescens) in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean

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Abstract

Several major breeding areas have been defined for the South American sea lion (Otaria flavescens) along the Atlantic Ocean including the Uruguayan and Patagonian coasts. Together with a documented and severe reduction in population sizes caused by commercial hunting in the last century, these areas show opposite population trends. While Patagonian populations are recovering since hunting ceased, Uruguayan populations are declining. In this context, population genetic structure and genetic diversity were studied for the first time with both nuclear (microsatellites) and mitochondrial (control region) markers together. Alternative scenarios were found for both markers. While mitochondrial marker showed geographically structured populations, the nuclear loci showed a lack of geographical structure. These opposite patterns in genetic structure could be explained by female phylopatry and high male dispersion. The reduction in population size caused by commercial hunting did not leave a detectable footprint of bottleneck at the genetic level.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are indebted to many people and institutions that collaborated in this research. We thank Centro Nacional Patagónico (CONICET, National Research Council of Argentina) and the University of Patagonia for the institutional and logistical, support given throughout this study. We also thank to Valentina Franco, Federico Riet, Sabrina Riveron and Cecilia Lezama and to the members of the Marine Mammal Laboratory of CENPAT, in particular to S. Dans, F. Grandi, N. García, S. Leonardi, G. Svendsen, D. Vales, L. Oliveira and M. Drago for helping to collect samples in the field. Financial support was given by Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica (PICT N° 4030/1999 and PICT N° PICT 33934/2007), Fundación BBVA (BIOCON 04), Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina, Zoo d’Amneville, and Project PNUD ARG-02/018 (B-B27), Agencia Nacional de Investigación e Innovación (ANII FCE2007-267). At the time this manuscript was written, R.L.C. was supported by a PhD Fellowship from National Research Council of Argentina (CONICET) and M.F. a scholarship by PEDECIBA-ANII. We also thank to the Government Agencies of Chubut, Santa Cruz and Río Negro Provinces. Special and immense thanks to all the members from the Sección Evolución who supported this work in all stages.

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  1. Sección Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, 4225, Iguá, Montevideo, Uruguay

    Matías Feijoo & Enrique P. Lessa

  2. Laboratorio de Mamíferos Marinos, Centro Nacional Patagónico and Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia, Bvd. Brown 2915, Puerto Madryn, Argentina

    Rocío Loizaga de Castro & Enrique A. Crespo

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  1. Matías Feijoo
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Feijoo, M., Lessa, E.P., Loizaga de Castro, R. et al. Mitochondrial and microsatellite assessment of population structure of South American sea lion (Otaria flavescens) in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean. Mar Biol 158, 1857–1867 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-011-1697-4

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