Museum DNA Reveals Urgent Threats to Montane Pheasant Populations

Anthropogenic habitat fragmentation and climate change have significantly reduced the genetic diversity and adaptive potential of local populations in numerous species. A significant challenge in conservation efforts has been the lack of comprehensive genomic data from local populations, which hinders accurate threat assessment and the designation of effective conservation units. To overcome this, scientists are turning to museum specimens, a valuable source of historical DNA, enabling insights into population structure and uncovering hidden genetic diversity. This approach was applied to the Koklass Pheasant, a montane species distributed across Central and Southwestern China, which is increasingly threatened by habitat loss and climate change.

Researchers utilized whole-genome sequencing data of museum samples to decipher the population structure and assess the genetic diversity of this species. Their analysis identified six distinct populations. Five of these corresponded to known subspecies in China, while a newly discovered Sichuan population exhibited clear genetic differentiation. Historical demographic analyses revealed a shared historical trajectory, characterized by expansion following the Last Glacial Maximum and a decline starting around 10 Kya. Genetic diversity and mutational load were unevenly distributed across populations.

Notably, the Anhui population, which inhabits a restricted and isolated range, exhibited the lowest genetic diversity and highest mutational load, rendering it particularly vulnerable. Furthermore, ecological niche modeling predicted that climate change will lead to the near-complete loss of suitable habitat for populations in Anhui and Southern China.

As lead author Jiang notes in the paper, "These findings underscore the importance of incorporating genomic data from museum samples into conservation strategies and highlight the necessity of establishing conservation units based on genetic diversity and evolutionary significance to safeguard the future of threatened species."