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Genomics Revealed a Distinct Dhofar Myna Population and Connected Northern Populations in Oman

Common myna at Zhighy Bay, Musandam Peninsula, Oman
Research · Genetics & genomics

Population genomics revealed two main genetic groups of common mynas (Acridotheres tristis) in Oman: a distinct population in Dhofar and a more connected northern group spanning Muscat, North Batinah and South Sharqiyah. The pattern means that the invasion is not genetically uniform across the country and that birds in the north appear to exchange genes more readily than birds separated from Dhofar by the central desert.

Researchers genotyped 311 mynas from the four governorates. After quality filtering, the main population-genomic dataset contained 17,460 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 296 birds. A SNP is a DNA position where individuals can carry different nucleotide variants; thousands of such markers can reveal which populations exchange genes and which remain genetically separated.

Dhofar formed a distinct southern genetic group

The strongest genetic break separated Dhofar from the three northern governorates. Muscat, North Batinah and much of South Sharqiyah overlapped genetically, although the northern group still contained internal structure.

The geographic pattern is consistent with Oman’s extensive central desert restricting dispersal and gene flow. Gene flow is the movement of genetic variants between populations when birds disperse and reproduce elsewhere. However, the authors emphasise that another history is possible: Dhofar may have been founded by a separate introduction from a different source population. The current data cannot distinguish conclusively between a separate introduction and divergence that developed after the species had already colonised Oman.

North Batinah had a much larger effective population size

North Batinah stood out in the estimate of effective population size. Its value was 1,973, compared with about 165–300 in the other governorates. Effective population size is not a direct count of birds. It is a genetic measure of how large a population behaves in terms of the individuals that effectively contribute genes to later generations.

The much larger value in North Batinah led the authors to identify it as a possible early invasion source and an important source population within the connected northern system. “Possible” is important: the genomic pattern is consistent with that history but does not reconstruct the original introduction sequence with certainty.

Genetic connectivity changes how local control may work

The northern populations form a connected metapopulation — separate regional populations linked by enough dispersal and reproduction for genes to move among them. The authors argue that reducing mynas in only one northern governorate could therefore be followed by recolonisation from neighbouring areas. They recommend coordinated management across Muscat, North Batinah and South Sharqiyah.

Dhofar presents a different genetic setting. Its separation from the northern populations suggests that local population reduction could be less exposed to rapid replenishment from the north, provided that the barrier remains effective. This is why the study treats Dhofar and northern Oman as different management contexts.

The study also shows what genomic data add beyond ordinary distribution records. Sightings reveal where birds occur; population genomics can show whether those birds belong to connected breeding populations, where dispersal barriers may operate and which populations may contribute disproportionately to future spread. The authors therefore recommend continued genetic monitoring alongside measures that reduce new introductions and human-provided resources used by the invasive mynas.

Sources and image credit

  1. Al Rawahi, Q., Aliyu, A., Al-Obaidi, M. M., Khalil, K., Al-Lawati, M., Al-Jidaili, T. A., Al-Maskari, B. S., Al-Shakili, A. M., Al-Toubi, J. A., Al-Saadi, M. S., Abubakar, A. A., & Mijangos, J. L. (2026). The genomic footprint of myna invasion in Oman showcases desert isolation and urban connectivity. Scientific Reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-57674-0Primary peer-reviewed study published 23 June 2026. Researchers genotyped 311 common mynas across four Omani governorates; after quality filtering, the population-genomic dataset contained 17,460 SNPs in 296 birds. The study identified an isolated Dhofar cluster and a more connected northern metapopulation and developed region-specific management recommendations.

Image: Charles Sharp / Wikimedia Commons — common myna (Acridotheres tristis) at Zhighy Bay, Musandam Peninsula, Oman, 19 February 2014. Representative species image; not one of the birds sampled in the genomic study. · CC BY 2.0 · Source

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