Despite carrying the Yellow-eyed penguin gyrovirus (YPGV), why do Southern Hoiho chicks avoid clinical Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS)?
Answer
They do not appear to contract clinical RDS.
Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS), which has caused devastating chick mortality in Northern populations since 2019, is associated with the Yellow-eyed penguin gyrovirus (YPGV). Crucially, while the YPGV is present in both the Northern and Southern populations, the Southern chicks residing on Enderby and Campbell Islands do not exhibit the clinical symptoms of RDS. This differential survival mechanism suggests that genetic differences between the lineages allow the Southern birds to tolerate or manage the viral infection without developing the pathological respiratory failure that proves fatal to the Northern chicks, indicating a significant biological divergence in response to the pathogen.
Related Questions
What fundamental finding dramatically redrew the evolutionary map of the Hoiho (Megadyptes antipodes)?Which sophisticated technique was employed to model the genealogical history across the Hoiho genome?What is the proposed scientific designation for the Enderby Island population of Hoiho?Approximately how long ago did the split occur between the Northern Hoiho subspecies and the Southern groups?Which distinct, smaller yellow-eyed penguin subspecies was found via ancient DNA analysis on the Chatham Islands?Despite carrying the Yellow-eyed penguin gyrovirus (YPGV), why do Southern Hoiho chicks avoid clinical Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS)?What specific biological function showed distinct genetic signatures of local selection in Southern Hoiho subspecies?Genomic analysis showed enrichment for adaptations related to what environmental factors in the Northern Hoiho subspecies (M. a. murihiku)?What significant risk is associated with attempting genetic rescue between the isolated Northern and Southern Hoiho populations?Which principal iwi partnered with researchers regarding the proposed scientific designation of the Hoiho subspecies?Research on other penguin species shows a correlation between speciation and what geological event, which also influenced Hoiho evolution?