ORG.one project - Holcosus orcesi

Rapid sequencing of the critically endangered Holcosus orcesi. Recognizing that small, isolated populations often experience decreased fitness due to inbreeding depression has shaped conservation strategies for many years. In contrast, long-term small population size results in a reduced burden of strongly deleterious recessive alleles, providing a mechanism for the absence of inbreeding depression. In this study, we will use WGS data on several Orces Blue Whiptail (Holcosus orcesi) samples to assess the effects of land fragmentation on the last isolated and known population of this speices in the wild. In particular, we will evaluate ROH and the proportion of highly deleterious mutations and run simulations with SLim to determine if the Blue Whiptail lizard is a long-term isolated population subject to purging selection of harmful variation or if this isolated population is highly inbred in risk of extinction.