Historic museum specimens reveal drastic decline in sawfish genetic diversity

Researchers have utilized historic sawfish specimens from natural history museums, some dating back to the 1800s, to analyze genetic diversity. This study, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, found a significant decline in genetic diversity within largetooth sawfish populations from the late nineteenth century to the early twenty-first century. The analysis revealed that out of 35 historical genetic variants, only six remain in modern populations, highlighting the impact of habitat loss and fishing on the species' adaptability. AI

RANK_REASON The cluster reports on a scientific study published in a journal, analyzing genetic diversity using historical specimens. [lever_c_demoted from research: ic=1 ai=0.1]

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• Annmarie Fearing
• largetooth sawfish
• Nicole Phillips
• Proceedings of the Royal Society B
• The University of Southern Mississippi Historic District

• paper
• other

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