Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33431977›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2021

Genetic and demographic history define a conservation strategy for earth's most endangered pinniped, the Mediterranean monk seal Monachus monachus.

Alexandros A Karamanlidis, Tomaž Skrbinšek, George Amato, Panagiotis Dendrinos, Stephen Gaughran, Panagiotis Kasapidis, Alexander Kopatz, Astrid Vik Stronen

Open access · goldAbstract readHistorical Article
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed
3.7field-weighted citation impact, top 7% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

10 citing papers in PubMed, 31 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Genomic Characterization and Phylogenetic Relationships ofAnimals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
  3. First Insights into the Home Range of an Adult Male Mediterranean Monk SealAnimals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2025
    Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. The antique genetic plight of the Mediterranean monk seal (Proceedings. Biological sciences · 2022
    Article
  9. Article
  10. First Report ofPathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 6 institutions in 5 countries.

Alexandros A Karamanlidis *MOm/Hellenic Society for the Study and Protection of the Monk Seal, Solomou 18, 10682, Athens, Greece. akaramanlidis@gmail.com.
Tomaž Skrbinšek *Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Večna pot 111, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
George AmatoSackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY, 10024, USA.
Panagiotis DendrinosMOm/Hellenic Society for the Study and Protection of the Monk Seal, Solomou 18, 10682, Athens, Greece.
Stephen GaughranSackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY, 10024, USA.
Panagiotis KasapidisInstitute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Gournes Pediados, P.O. Box 2214, 71003, Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
Alexander KopatzNorwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), 7485, Trondheim, Norway.
Astrid Vik StronenDepartment of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Večna pot 111, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
American Museum of Natural History · USHellenic Society for the Study of Bone Metabolism · GRHellenic Centre for Marine Research · GRNorwegian Institute for Nature Research · NOUniversity of Insubria · ITUniversity of Ljubljana · SI

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) is a flagship species for marine conservation, but important aspects of its life history remain unknown. Concerns over imminent extinction motivated a nuclear DNA study of the species in its largest continuous subpopulation in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Despite recent evidence of partial subpopulation recovery, we demonstrate that there is no reason for complacency, as the species still shares several traits that are characteristic of a critically endangered species: Mediterranean monk seals in the eastern Mediterranean survive in three isolated and genetically depauperate population clusters, with small effective population sizes and high levels of inbreeding. Our results indicated male philopatry over short distances, which is unexpected for a polygynous mammal. Such a pattern may be explained by the species' unique breeding behavior, in which males defend aquatic territories near breeding sites, while females are often forced to search for new pupping areas. Immediate action is necessary to reverse the downward spiral of population decline, inbreeding accumulation and loss of genetic diversity. We propose concrete conservation measures for the Mediterranean monk seal focusing on reducing anthropogenic threats, increasing the population size and genetic diversity, and thus improving the long-term prospects of survival.

Indexed as

Endangered SpeciesSeals, EarlessAnimal DistributionAnimalsCaniformiaConservation of Natural ResourcesDemographyDNA, MitochondrialEcosystemGenetic TestingGenetic VariationGreeceHistory, 20th CenturyMediterranean SeaPopulation DensityPopulation DynamicsDNA, Mitochondrial

Identifiers

PMID33431977
PMCPMC7801404
OpenAlexW3119342177

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.