- Laura M. Zahn
One of the highest levels of extinction occurred in Australia, where 34 mammals have disappeared since European colonization. One suggestion for this vulnerability is the small population sizes and thus lack of genetic diversity, an explanation that could be predictive of future losses. To investigate this possible mechanism, Roycroft et al. obtained genomic data from eight extinct rodent species from museum samples in Australia collected ∼150 years ago and compared them with 42 closely related extant species. Unexpectedly, the authors found relatively high genetic diversity among the specimens, indicating that the populations were in fact quite large. From these data, the authors estimate that ∼10 million years of unique evolutionary history has been lost in Australia since European colonization. Large population sizes and diversity of species seem to have offered little protection against the depredations of humans.
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci U.S.A. 118, e2021390118 (2021).
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