ArticleBMC evolutionary biology2008
Tracing early stages of species differentiation: ecological, morphological and genetic divergence of Galápagos sea lion populations.
Article in BMC evolutionary biology, 2008. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 25 papers.
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25 citing papers in PubMed, 94 citations in OpenAlex.
- High connectivity and genetic diversity in the Endangered endemic white-spotted sand bass 'camotillo' (Paralabrax albomaculatus) within the Galápagos Marine Reserve.BMC ecology and evolution · 2026Article
- Population Genomics and the Environmental Drivers of Population Structure in a Cosmopolitan Marine Predator, Tursiops truncatus.Molecular ecology · 2025Article
- Niche partitioning and individual specialisation in resources and space use of sympatric fur seals at their range margin.Oecologia · 2024Article
- DNA-metabarcoding supports trophic flexibility and reveals new prey species for the Galapagos sea lion.Ecology and evolution · 2024Article
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- Population Genetics and Phylogeography of Galapagos Fur Seals.Frontiers in genetics · 2022Article
- Pelagic and benthic ecosystems drive differences in population and individual specializations in marine predators.Oecologia · 2021Article
- Declines and recovery in endangered Galapagos pinnipeds during the El Niño event.Scientific reports · 2021Article
- Can the carbon and nitrogen isotope values of offspring be used as a proxy for their mother's diet? Using foetal physiology to interpret bulk tissue and amino acid δConservation physiology · 2020Article
- Population Abundance of the Endangered Galapagos Sea Lion Zalophus wollebaeki in the Southeastern Galapagos Archipelago.PloS one · 2017Article
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- Population structure and historical demography of South American sea lions provide insights into the catastrophic decline of a marine mammal population.Royal Society open science · 2016Article
- Diving deeper into individual foraging specializations of a large marine predator, the southern sea lion.Oecologia · 2015Article
- Differences in foraging ecology align with genetically divergent ecotypes of a highly mobile marine top predator.Oecologia · 2015Article
- Context-dependent associations between heterozygosity and immune variation in a wild carnivore.BMC evolutionary biology · 2015Article
- Hybridization masks speciation in the evolutionary history of the Galápagos marine iguana.Proceedings. Biological sciences · 2015Article
- Ecological opportunities and specializations shaped genetic divergence in a highly mobile marine top predator.Proceedings. Biological sciences · 2014Article
- Individual foraging strategies reveal niche overlap between endangered galapagos pinnipeds.PloS one · 2013Article
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 5 institutions in 4 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundOceans are high gene flow environments that are traditionally believed to hamper the build-up of genetic divergence. Despite this, divergence appears to occur occasionally at surprisingly small scales. The Galápagos archipelago provides an ideal opportunity to examine the evolutionary processes of local divergence in an isolated marine environment. Galápagos sea lions (Zalophus wollebaeki) are top predators in this unique setting and have an essentially unlimited dispersal capacity across the entire species range. In theory, this should oppose any genetic differentiation.
resultsWe find significant ecological, morphological and genetic divergence between the western colonies and colonies from the central region of the archipelago that are exposed to different ecological conditions. Stable isotope analyses indicate that western animals use different food sources than those from the central area. This is likely due to niche partitioning with the second Galápagos eared seal species, the Galápagos fur seal (Arctocephalus galapagoensis) that exclusively dwells in the west. Stable isotope patterns correlate with significant differences in foraging-related skull morphology. Analyses of mitochondrial sequences as well as microsatellites reveal signs of initial genetic differentiation.
conclusionOur results suggest a key role of intra- as well as inter-specific niche segregation in the evolution of genetic structure among populations of a highly mobile species under conditions of free movement. Given the monophyletic arrival of the sea lions on the archipelago, our study challenges the view that geographical barriers are strictly needed for the build-up of genetic divergence. The study further raises the interesting prospect that in social, colonially breeding mammals additional forces, such as social structure or feeding traditions, might bear on the genetic partitioning of populations.
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