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title: "Genomic study indicates the Southern Giant Petrel population went through a severe reduction in the early Pleistocene"
---

# Genomic study indicates the Southern Giant Petrel population went through a severe reduction in the early Pleistocene

![Shary Weckwerth Southern Giant Petrel watercolour Michelle Risi](https://acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/S/Southern_Giant/Shary_Weckwerth_Southern_Giant_Petrel_watercolour_Michelle_Risi.jpg)

 *Southern Giant Petrel watercolour by *Shary Weckwerth*, from a photograph by Michelle Risi *

 Sun-Hee Kim (Department of Biotechnology, [College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology](https://koreauniv.pure.elsevier.com/en/organisations/college-of-life-sciences-and-biotechnology), Korea University, Seoul, Korea) and colleagues have published in the open access online journal [*Animals*](https://www.mdpi.com/journal/animals) on the genome of the Southern Giant Petrel *Macronectes giganteus*.

 The paper’s abstract follows:

 “The southern giant petrel *Macronectes giganteus**,* a large seabird of the southern oceans, is one of only two members of the genus *Macronectes* and is the largest species in the order Procellariiformes [*sic*].  Although these two families [*sic*] account for the vast majority of the avian fauna inhabiting the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic regions, studies on the status of some populations and the associated genetic data are currently extremely limited.  In this study, we assembled the genome of *M. giganteus* by integrating Pacific Biosciences single-molecule real-time sequencing and the Chromium system developed by 10x Genomics.  The final *M. giganteus* genome assembly was 1.248 Gb in size with a scaffold N50 length of 27.4 Mb and a longest scaffold length of 120.4 Mb.  The *M. giganteus* genome contains 14,993 predicted protein-coding genes and has 11.06% repeat sequences.  Estimated historical effective population size analysis indicated that the southern giant petrel underwent a severe reduction in effective population size during a period coinciding with the early Pleistocene.  The availability of this newly sequenced genome will facilitate more effective genetic monitoring of threatened species.  Furthermore, the genome will provide a valuable resource for gene functional studies and further comparative genomic studies on the life history and ecological traits of specific avian species.”

 **Reference:**

 Kim, S.-H., Lee, S.-J., Jo, E., Kim, J., Kim, J.-U., Kim, J.-H., Park, H. & Chi, Y.-M.  2021.  Genome of the Southern Giant Petrel assembled using third-generation DNA sequencing and linked reads reveals evolutionary traits of southern avian [*sic*].  [*Animals*11.  doi.org/10.3390/ani11072046](https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/7/2046/htm).

 *John Cooper. ACAP Information Officer, 23 July 2021*