The inflated significance of neutral genetic diversity in conservation genetics
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The current rate of species extinction is rapidly approaching unprecedented highs, and life on Earth presently faces a sixth mass extinction event driven by anthropogenic activity, climate change, and ecological collapse. The field of conservation genetics aims at preserving species by using their levels of genetic diversity, usually measured as neutral genome-wide diversity, as a barometer for evaluating population health and extinction risk. A fundamental assumption is that higher levels of genetic diversity lead to an increase in fitness and long-term survival of a species. Here, we argue against the perceived importance of neutral genetic diversity for the conservation of wild populations and species. We demonstrate that no simple general relationship exists between neutral genetic diversity and the risk of species extinction. Instead, a better understanding of the properties of functional genetic diversity, demographic history, and ecological relationships is necessary for developing and implementing effective conservation genetic strategies.
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The finding of MHC diversity and no overt signs of inbreeding depression in native muskox populations is consistent with the view that neutral genetic diversity is less important than functional genetic diversity for conservation of wild populations and species.
“This finding, along with the muskox having no overt signs of inbreeding depression in native populations31, is consistent with the view of Teixeira and Huber139 that argues against the perceived importance of neutral genetic diversity over functional genetic diversity for the conservation of wild populations and species.”
From Chromosomal-level reference genome assembly of muskox (Ovibos moschatus) from Banks Island in the Canadian Arctic, a resource for conservation genomics (2024) · cites this paper as [139]
Teixeira and Huber argue against the perceived importance of neutral genetic diversity over functional genetic diversity for the conservation of wild populations and species.
“This finding, along with the muskox having no overt signs of inbreeding depression in native populations31, is consistent with the view of Teixeira and Huber139 that argues against the perceived importance of neutral genetic diversity over functional genetic diversity for the conservation of wild populations and species.”
From Chromosomal-level reference genome assembly of muskox (Ovibos moschatus) from Banks Island in the Canadian Arctic, a resource for conservation genomics (2024) · cites this paper as [139]
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Crop genetic erosion: understanding and responding to loss of crop diversity
Khoury, C. K., Brush, S., Costich, D. E., Curry, H. A., de Haan, S., Engels, J. M. M., Guarino, L., Hoban, S., Mercer, K. L., Miller, A. J., et al. (2022) · New Phytologist · doi:10.1111/nph.17733 · Cited by 471 · see citing works
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Genomic erosion in the assessment of species’ extinction risk and recovery potential
van Oosterhout, C., Speak, S. A., Birley, T., Hitchings, L. W., Bortoluzzi, C., Percival-Alwyn, L., Urban, L., Groombridge, J. J., Segelbacher, G., & Morales, H. E. (2022) · doi:10.1101/2022.09.13.507768 · Cited by 36 · see citing works
Lok, S., Lau, T. N. H., Trost, B., Tong, A. H. Y., Paton, T., Wintle, R. F., Engstrom, M. D., Gunn, A., & Scherer, S. W. (2024) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-024-67270-9 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
“This finding, along with the muskox having no overt signs of inbreeding depression in native populations 31 , is consistent with the view of Teixeira and Huber 139 that argues against the perceived importance of neutral genetic diversity over functional genetic diversity for the conservation of wild populations and sp…”
ResultFunctional immune diversity in reindeer reveals a high Arctic population at risk
Lukacs, M., Nymo, I. H., Madslien, K., Våge, J., Veiberg, V., Rolandsen, C. M., Bøe, C. A., Sundaram, A. Y. M., & Grimholt, U. (2023) · Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution · doi:10.3389/fevo.2022.1058674 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Abedin, I., Putra, A., Kang, H.-E., Singh, A., Singh, S., Jung, W.-K., Kim, H.-W., & Kundu, S. (2025) · doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-7140563/v1 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
- Authors
- Teixeira, J. C., & Huber, C. D.
- Affiliations
- Australian Research Council (AU)
- The University of Adelaide (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Teixeira, João C.
- Huber, Christian D.
- Venue
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
- Publisher
- National Academy of Sciences
- Published
- 2021-02-19
- Volume
- 118
- Issue
- 10
- ISSN
- 0027-8424 (ISSN-L)
- 1091-6490
- PMC
- PMC7958437
- OpenAlex
- W3132644980
- Cited by
- 474
- References
- 155
- Citations by year
- 2026: 54 · 2025: 70 · 2024: 91 · 2023: 115 · 2022: 101 · 2021: 42 · 2020: 1
- FWCI
- 49.29
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- arXiv (Cornell University) (submittedVersion)
- Adelaide Research & Scholarship (AR&S) (University of Adelaide) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- arXiv (Cornell University)
- Funders
- Australian Research Council (DP190103606, DE180100883, IN180100017)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genetic diversity and population structure
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Evolution and Genetic Dynamics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genetic and phenotypic traits in livestock
- Keywords
- neutral genetic diversity, extinction risk, conservation genetics, population health, demographic history, sixth mass extinction, species survival
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Genetics, Population, Inbreeding, Models, Genetic, Genetic Variation, Genome
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