Genômica populacional de golfinhos-rotadores associada a variáveis ambientais e eficiência de metodologias de sequenciamento de nova geração

• Ano de defesa: 2025
• Autor(a) principal: Teixeira, Fernanda Lopes
• Orientador(a): Farro, Ana Paula Cazerta
• Banca de defesa: Silva, Flávio José de Lima , Siciliano, Salvatore , Oliveira, Larissa Rosa de , Cruz, Vanessa Paes
• Tipo de documento: Tese
• Tipo de acesso: Acesso aberto
• Idioma: por
• Instituição de defesa: Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo; Doutorado em Biologia Animal
• Programa de Pós-Graduação: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas
• Departamento: Centro de Ciências Humanas e Naturais
• País: BR
• Palavras-chave em Português: Delphinidae; Diferenciação populacional; GBS; Stenella longirostris
• Área do conhecimento CNPq: Zoologia
• Link de acesso: http://repositorio.ufes.br/handle/10/20150

Although cetaceans are highly mobile and can travel long distances, many biological factors can lead to genetic differentiation within and between groups, such as environmental and social factors. The spinner dolphin, Stenella longirostris, is considered pantropical and exhibits genetic structure throughout its distribution. This study aims to refine population analyses for the species in the Western South Atlantic Ocean (SWA) using neutral and adaptive genomic data. Genotyping-by-Sequencing (GBS) was used for 25 spinner dolphins, 12 individuals associated with the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago and 13 not associated with the Archipelago (Northeast - NE; Southeast - SE; and South - S). Genomic diversity and differentiation were verified based on neutral SNPs and outliers identified from the genotype-environment association and population structure. After filtering, 21,341 SNPs were identified in 15 samples, of which eight individuals were associated with the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago (FN) and seven were not associated with the Archipelago (three from the SE and four from the NE). The locations analyzed with neutral (20,691) and adaptive (650 outlier SNPs) were separated into three sampling units: FN, NE, and SE. Genomic diversity values ranged from moderate to high for the locations. The outlier SNPs were found to be related to genes associated with biological processes, such as the development and/or function of the nervous system, immune system, among others. The allele frequency of three genes differed between the locations, consistent with changes in sea surface temperature. Previous genetic studies identified two populations in SWA: spinner dolphins associated with the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago and those not associated with the Archipelago. This study identified at least three populations: one associated with the Archipelago and two not associated (SE and NE), and this structuring was related to environmental variables such as salinity, ocean currents, and sea surface temperature. Our work contributes to the understanding of how neutral and adaptive processes can shape spinner dolphin populations in the SWA.