Hui Zhen Tan: Stitch-iiing! together conservation and genomics

<p dir="ltr">Weaving together conservation and genomics can lead to positive outcomes for species protection and research. This is important as more animal populations are declining, and these small populations often experience increased inbreeding, which can reduce survival and the ability to adapt to environmental changes. The hihi / stitchbird, Notiomystis cincta, is a forest bird endemic to Aotearoa, New Zealand. Hihi went extinct from the North Island in the late-1800s and underwent a prolonged bottleneck on a single offshore island. Using genome-wide information, we found moderately high inbreeding in the hihi that is associated with lower numbers of offspring, indicating inbreeding depression. We also detected two positions in the genome associated with lower numbers of offspring that are located in/near genes also associated with reproduction in other birds. Our findings support genetic exchange between populations to reduce inbreeding and contribute to the study of population genetic dynamics in small populations.</p>