Biology subjects

Campos, P. F.

Publications and source records attributed to Campos, P. F..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Historic Overexploitation, Genetic Erosion and Local extinction: Palaeogenomic Insights into the Decline of Eubalaena glacialis in the Northeast Atlantic

The North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) was the primary target for early industrial whalers, particularly the Basques. Once widespread across temperate and subpolar waters on both sides of the North Atlantic, the species is now functionally extinct in the Northeast Atlantic and listed as critically endangered by the IUCN. Despite their fragmentary remains, bones are abundant in the archaeological and historical records and reveal a long history and extensive tradition connected to the exploitation of these marine resources. Using state-of-the-art ancient DNA techniques, here we aimed at genetically characterizing the lost Northeast Atlantic population. We sequenced 17 genomes from historical specimens collected in the Cantabrian Sea, dating from the 13th-18th century, and compared them with available genomes for 12 individuals from the surviving Northwest Atlantic population. Our analyses reveal a historically panmictic population and document a dramatic decline in genetic diversity from the Middle Ages to the present. These findings illuminate the profound impact of centuries of whaling, which eradicated the Northeast Atlantic population and severely depleted genetic diversity in the remnant population.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2025

DNA from cetariae fish remains confirms sardine (Sardina pilchardus) use and local population continuity in Northwestern Iberia since Roman times

The Romans were among the first to extensively exploit fish resources, establishing large-scale salting and preservation plants. Small pelagic fish were fermented to produce sauces like garum. Here, we recover DNA from specimens collected at Adro Vello (O Grove), Galicia, dating to the 3rd century AD. Whole genome resequencing, confirmed these as European sardines (Sardina pilchardus) and assigns all samples to a population ranging from North Morocco to the Bay of Biscay. The low admixture levels in ancient samples suggest lower connectivity in Roman times. This overlooked archaeological material can enhance our understanding of past subsistence economy, culture, and diet.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2021

Simultaneous expression of UV and violet SWS1 opsins expands the visual palette in a group of freshwater snakes.

Snakes are known to express a rod visual opsin and two cone opsins, only (SWS1, LWS), a reduced palette resulting from their supposedly fossorial origins. Dipsadid snakes in the genus Helicops are highly visual predators that successfully invaded freshwater habitats from ancestral terrestrial-only habitats. Here we report the first case of multiple SWS1 visual pigments in a vertebrate, simultaneously expressed in different photoreceptors and conferring both UV and violet sensitivity to Helicops snakes. Molecular analysis and in vitro expression confirmed the presence of two functional SWS1 opsins, likely the result of recent gene duplication. Evolutionary analyses indicate that each sws1 variant has undergone different evolutionary paths, with strong purifying selection acting on the UV-sensitive copy and dN/dS [~]1 on the violet-sensitive copy. Site-directed mutagenesis points to the functional role of a single amino acid substitution, Phe86Val, in the large spectral shift between UV and violet opsins. In addition, higher densities of photoreceptors and SWS1 cones in the ventral retina suggest improved acuity in the upper visual field possibly correlated with visually-guided behaviors. The expanded visual opsin repertoire and specialized retinal architecture are likely to improve photon uptake in underwater and terrestrial environments, and provide the neural substrate for a gain in chromatic discrimination, potentially conferring unique color vision in the UV-violet range. Our findings highlight the innovative solutions undertaken by a highly specialized lineage to tackle the challenges imposed by the invasion of novel photic environments and the extraordinary diversity of evolutionary trajectories taken by visual opsin-based perception in vertebrates.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2020

Ancient DNA reveals the lost domestication history of South American camelids in Northern Chile and across the Andes

The study of South American camelids and their domestication is a highly debated topic in zooarchaeology. Identifying the domestic species (alpaca and llama) in archaeological sites based solely on morphological data is challenging due to their similarity with respect to their wild ancestors. Using genetic methods also present challenges due to the hybridization history of the domestic species, which are thought to have extensively hybridized following the Spanish conquest of South America that resulted in camelids slaughtered en-masse. In this study we generated mitochondrial genomes for 61 ancient South American camelids dated between 3,500 - 2,400 years before the present (Early Formative period) from two archaeological sites in Northern Chile (Tulan 54 and 85), as well as 66 modern camelid mitogenomes and 815 extant mitochondrial control region sequences from across South America. In addition, we performed osteometric analyses to differentiate big and small body size camelids. A comparative analysis of these data suggests that a substantial proportion of the ancient vicuna genetic variation has been lost since the Early Formative period as it is not present in modern specimens. Moreover, we propose a model of domestication that includes an ancient guanaco population that no longer exists. Finally, we find evidence that interbreeding practices were widespread during the domestication process by the early camelid herders in the Atacama during the Early Formative period and predating the Spanish conquest.

evolutionary biology↗