​Leveraging life-history data from the ‘ECOPHY-ANTAVIA’ de l’Institut Polaire Français Paul-Émile Victor (IPEV) long-term monitoring program, a newly generated chromosome-level genome assembly, and whole-genome resequencing and epigenetic data, we are using the King penguin as a wild, long-lived vertebrate model to explore the genomic determinants of reproductive fitness.

 

Based on a breeding quality index (BQI), we categorised male and female wild King penguins (≥ 13 years) into two reproductive fitness groups: 1) individuals with high reproductive success, and; 2) individuals with low reproductive success.

 

We hypothesised that by accounting for the survival component of fitness (by choosing only long-lived individuals), we will be able to identify the role of genetic diversity and genetic load in determining reproductive fitness.

 

Additionally, by examining high and low fitness individuals sampled across three timepoints (2001, 2008, 2020) (n = 84), spanning two decades of Subantarctic temperature fluctuations, we are employing temporal genomics to identify allele frequency shifts in genomic regions associated with reproductive fitness.

 

This research will provide insights into the genetic basis of reproductive success and how this crucial component of evolution is being impacted by climate change, elucidating the evolutionary processes that shape fitness and resilience in a wild long-lived vertebrate.