The regent honeyeater has so far kept its genetic diversity despite population collapse

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2025-03-26 11:01

Australia; International; ACT

Nathan Ruser via iNaturalist

The Australian regent honeyeater population has shrunk from hundreds of thousands to fewer than 300 over the past century, but it has (so far) maintained much of its genetic diversity, according to Australian and international researchers. The team studied the genetic makeup of honeyeater specimens from this century and compared them to specimens dated before 1919. They say despite the drastic loss in population, they found no evidence of inbreeding or a genetic divide forming, and the overall loss of genetic diversity from the earlier specimens to the modern ones was a "modest" 9%. When modelling the future trajectory of genetic diversity for the birds, the researchers say it's likely there is a lag between the drop in population and the impact it will have on genetic diversity, meaning there may be a hidden risk conservationists will need to keep an eye on.

Media release

From: The Royal Society

Time-lagged genomic erosion and future environmental risks in a bird on the brink of extinction
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

The critically endangered regent honeyeater has suffered a massive population collapse, yet its genetic diversity remains surprisingly high—for now. By comparing DNA from 100+ year-old historical sampled and modern birds, we discovered a delay in genetic decline. This means past population losses have not yet fully impacted the species' genetic health, but our models predict a slow and steady loss over time. Combined with ongoing habitat destruction, this “genetic debt” could put the species at even greater risk in the future. Our study highlights the need for ongoing genetic monitoring to protect species before these hidden threats become irreversible

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conference: Royal Society B

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: The Australian National University

Funder: This work was supported by the European Research Council (StG ERODE, 101078303 and CoG Extinction Genomics 681396); and the Danish National Research Foundation (Center for Evolutionary Hologenomics, DNRF143). Further support was obtained from an environmental offset paid by Cumnock Pty and the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund; The European Molecular Biology Organization (ALTF 1111-2018); the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under a Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant (GENDANGERED, 840519).Views and opinions expressed are however those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Council. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

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