News release

From: Professor Jemma L. Geoghegan (author of this research)

"In this study, we used population genomics to investigate the evolutionary history and disease susceptibility of the endangered yellow-eyed penguin/hoiho, one of the world’s rarest penguin species. Funded through Genomics Aotearoa, we generated whole-genome data from 249 penguins across mainland New Zealand and the subantarctic islands to better understand why chicks in the mainland population have been dying from a severe respiratory disease known as respiratory distress syndrome (RDS).

"Unexpectedly, we found that hoiho are made up of three deeply divergent subspecies with no evidence of migration between them. Our analyses suggest these populations have been separated for thousands of years, much earlier than previously thought. This means the critically endangered northern population is not simply a recent extension of the southern populations, but a distinct evolutionary lineage in its own right.

"We also identified candidate genes linked to immune function and respiratory biology that may help explain why the northern population appears uniquely vulnerable to RDS. These findings provide new insight into the role of host genetics in wildlife disease and have major implications for conservation management.

"Working in partnership with Ngāi Tahu, the kaitiaki of hoiho, we hope this research will support urgent and targeted conservation action for each subspecies, particularly the rapidly declining northern lineage, which now numbers fewer than 115 breeding pairs."