PNAS Science Sessions4 Aug 2025

Exploring the origins of a glacial relict seal

The postglacial history of the Saimaa ringed seal

Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.

In this episode, Jaakko Pohjoismäki, Jukka Jernvall, and Ari Löytynoja discuss the evolutionary history of the Saimaa ringed seal.

In this episode, we cover:
•[00:00] Introduction
•[01:06] Molecular biologist Jaakko Pohjoismäki introduces Lake Saimaa and the Saimaa ringed seal.
•[02:30] Zoologist Jukka Jernvall talks about the characteristics of species isolated by glaciation.
•[03:27] Evolutionary biologist and bioinformatician Ari Löytynoja explains the genetic and demographic methods of the study.
•[04:11] Löytynoja and Jernvall explain why the results were surprising and where the study turned next.
•[06:20] Pohjoismäki and Löytynoja describe the study's implications for biodiversity in postglacial habitats.
•[07:50] Jernvall and Löytynoja talk about the study's caveats and limitations.
•[10:14] Conclusion.

About Our Guests:

Jaakko Pohjoismäki
Professor
University of Eastern Finland

Jukka Jernvall
Professor
University of Helsinki

Ari Löytynoja
University Lecturer
University of Helsinki

View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2503368122

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