Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Moises A. Bernal, Daniel L. Yule, Wendylee Stott, Lori Evrard, Thomas E. Dowling, Trevor J. Krabbenhoft
Summary: Groups of sympatric taxa with low interspecific genetic differentiation, but considerable ecological differences, offer great opportunities to study the dynamics of divergence and speciation. This study on the ciscoes in Laurentian Great Lakes used morphometrics, stable isotopes, and transcriptome sequencing to understand the relationships within the Coregonus artedi complex in western Lake Superior. The results showed general concordance for morphological, ecological, and genomic variation, with the genomic data being more taxonomically informative.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Emilie J. Richards, Joseph A. McGirr, Jeremy R. Wang, Michelle E. St. John, Jelmer W. Poelstra, Maria J. Solano, Delaney C. O'Connell, Bruce J. Turner, Christopher H. Martin
Summary: This study investigated the evolutionary origins and stages of vertebrate adaptive radiation using the genomes of 202 Caribbean pupfishes. They found evidence supporting hybrid swarm origins and temporal stages of adaptation in an adaptive radiation event on San Salvador Island, Bahamas. The research demonstrates how ancient alleles from different environmental refugia can be reassembled into new adaptive combinations, providing insights into the spatiotemporal landscape of adaptation and speciation.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Melanie J. Wilkinson, Federico Roda, Greg M. Walter, Maddie E. James, Rick Nipper, Jessica Walsh, Scott L. Allen, Henry L. North, Christine A. Beveridge, Daniel Ortiz-Barrientos
Summary: Research has shown that adaptive divergence in shoot gravitropism of an Australian wildflower contributes to the evolution of hybrid sterility, suggesting that natural selection can drive the evolution of locally adaptive traits that create new species.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Bryan Piatkowski, David J. Weston, Blanka Aguero, Aaron Duffy, Karn Imwattana, Adam L. Healey, Jeremy Schmutz, A. Jonathan Shaw
Summary: This study investigates genomic differentiation in two sister species of peat mosses and reveals that differentiation is concentrated in specific regions of the genome associated with geographic and climatic variables. It suggests that local adaptation plays a crucial role in driving speciation in these plants.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Andrius J. Dagilis, Daniel R. Matute
Summary: The genomic era has revealed that introgression is a common feature of evolution, with examples of both adaptive and deleterious introgression existing in various systems. The fitness of an introgressing haplotype changes as species diverge, and introgression is more likely to occur into less diverged parts of the genome. This is because alleles from a shared genetic background have positive epistatic interactions, increasing the fitness of a larger introgressing block.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Silu Wang, Madelyn J. Ore, Else K. Mikkelsen, Julie Lee-Yaw, David P. L. Toews, Sievert Rohwer, Darren Irwin
Summary: Research on two hybridizing species of warblers in western North America found that populations with different mitochondrial DNA haplotypes and nuclear DNA regions may exhibit divergent mitonuclear coadaptation, especially in relation to genes associated with fatty acid oxidation and energy-related signaling transduction. The study suggests that spatial variation in mitonuclear ancestries is correlated with climatic conditions and may underpin cryptic differentiation in this species complex. Little is known about how mitonuclear interactions influence genomic divergence among hybrid and parental lineages.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Quinn Langdon, Daniel Powell, Bernard Kim, Shreya Banerjee, Cheyenne Payne, Tristram Dodge, Ben Moran, Paola Fascinetto-Zago, Molly Schumer
Summary: This study analyzes the drivers of variation in local ancestry across the genome in hybridization events between two species pairs of swordtail fish and finds unexpectedly high levels of repeatability. The analysis also identifies regions of the genome where minor parent ancestry is unusually low or high across species pairs, indicating shared selection sites and mechanisms.
Article
Plant Sciences
Zeyu Zheng, Ying Li, Minjie Li, Guiting Li, Xin Du, Hu Hongyin, Mou Yin, Zhiqiang Lu, Xu Zhang, Nawal Shrestha, Jianquan Liu, Yongzhi Yang
Summary: The study sequenced individuals from three closely related Carpinus species and found low genetic diversity and small population size in Carpinus tibetana, while Carpinus monbeigiana and Carpinus mollicoma diverged around 1.2 million years ago with bidirectional gene flow. Highly diverged genes related to thermoregulation, plant development, and stress response were identified, highlighting adaptations to their habitats. The study also revealed a significant population decline and vulnerability in Carpinus tibetana. The genomic resource generated will aid in future speciation research.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Michael V. Westbury, Andrea A. Cabrera, Alba Rey-Iglesia, Binia De Cahsan, David A. Duchene, Stefanie Hartmann, Eline D. Lorenzen
Summary: The study investigates the role of post-divergence gene flow in speciation process in the toothed whale superfamily Delphinoidea. The researchers used a multifaceted approach including phylogenomics, distribution of shared derived alleles, and demographic inference. The findings reveal complex speciation within Delphinoidea, with evidence of ancient interfamilial gene flow events prior to diversification of each family. Contemporary hybridization events do not contribute to parental species' gene pools.
Review
Plant Sciences
Shengdan Wu, Yi Wang, Zefu Wang, Nawal Shrestha, Jianquan Liu
Summary: The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is a region with rich species diversity, where geographic isolation, natural selection, and hybridization have played important roles in promoting species divergence and diversification. It is important to identify and functionally analyze the major genes involved in speciation, and to investigate parallel adaptive divergence causing reproductive isolation among different lineages within specific habitats in this region.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Rhett M. Rautsaw, Tristan D. Schramer, Rachel Acuna, Lindsay N. Arick, Mark DiMeo, Kathryn P. Mercier, Michael Schrum, Andrew J. Mason, Mark J. Margres, Jason L. Strickland, Christopher L. Parkinson
Summary: The study reveals high intraspecific gene flow within the Nerodia fasciata-clarkii complex in Florida, but reduced gene flow is observed between inland and coastal lineages. The results demonstrate that ecological differences, particularly those caused by salinity, lead to divergent selection and promote species divergence despite significant gene flow.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Thomas J. Firneno Jr, Georgy Semenov, Erik B. Dopman, Scott A. Taylor, Erica L. Larson, Zachariah Gompert
Summary: This study characterizes the relationship between the coupling coefficient and genetic loci across hybrid zones, showing a smooth continuum from high variance and weak coupling to low variance and strong coupling. The results suggest low hybridization rates and a strong genome-wide barrier to gene flow when the coupling coefficient is much greater than 1.
COLD SPRING HARBOR PERSPECTIVES IN BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Erik D. Enbody, Ashley T. Sendell-Price, C. Grace Sprehn, Carl-Johan Rubin, Peter M. Visscher, B. Rosemary Grant, Peter R. Grant, Leif Andersson
Summary: This study used whole-genome data of Darwin's finches to identify six loci associated with beak size variation in Geospiza fortis. The major locus is a supergene composed of four genes. Changes in allele frequencies at these loci accompanied a significant change in beak size caused by natural selection during a drought, while introgressive hybridization with another species resulted in gradual changes in beak size in another population.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Paul F. Gugger, Sorel T. Fitz-Gibbon, Ana Albarran-Lara, Jessica W. Wright, Victoria L. Sork
Summary: Understanding how the environment shapes genetic variation is crucial for studying the evolution of local adaptation. Through landscape genomic approaches, researchers identified genetic variation underlying local adaptation in California endemic oak, Quercus lobata, and found evidence of natural selection at multiple spatial scales. The study provides robust evidence for novel candidate genes for local climate adaptation across different spatial scales.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hengwu Jiao, Qian Wang, Bing-Jun Wang, Kexin Li, Matej Lovy, Eviatar Nevo, Qiyang Li, Wenchuan Su, Peihua Jiang, Huabin Zhao
Summary: The study demonstrates that bitter taste receptor genes in a wild mammal have undergone local adaptation in different soil environments, affecting food selection and ecological speciation.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Blazej Wojkiewicz, Andrzewj Lewandowski, Weronika B. Zukowska, Monika Litkowiec, Witold Wachowiak
Summary: This study investigated the genetic resources of black poplar from the Oder valley in Poland, revealing high genetic variability and past bottlenecks in the populations. The findings suggest genetic substructuring and potential conservation units for this species in Europe. The Oder River valley still holds substantial genetic resources of black poplar, but there are signs of isolation by distance and genetic erosion.
ANNALS OF FOREST SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Weronika Barbara Zukowska, Blazej Wojkiewicz, Andrzej Lewandowski
Summary: The black poplar, an ecologically and economically important tree species in European floodplain forests, is considered endangered due to river engineering and land use management. Research found that some multi-stem black poplars have trunks from different genotypes, increasing the gene pool of the population, and most likely developed from single-stem trees with damaged apical meristems.
Article
Forestry
C. Rosique-Esplugas, J. E. Cottrell, S. Cavers, R. Whittet, R. A. Ennos
Summary: Genetic variation and phenotypic plasticity play important roles in determining the performance of tree provenances at planting sites. Provenance had a larger impact on spring phenology compared to autumn phenology. The study also found a correlation between tree height, leaf phenology, and forking, with early flushing provenances tending to be taller and more forked.
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Annika Perry, Witold Wachowiak, Joan Beaton, Glenn Iason, Joan Cottrell, Stephen Cavers
Summary: In this study, genomic prediction was used to identify marker-trait associations related to growth and phenology in tree species. Predictive models based on these associations showed significant correlations with observed trait values at certain sites. However, caution is needed when applying these models to trees grown in different environments.
EVOLUTIONARY APPLICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Chedly Kastally, Alina K. Niskanen, Annika Perry, Sonja T. Kujala, Komlan Avia, Sandra Cervantes, Matti Haapanen, Robert Kesalahti, Timo A. Kumpula, Tiina M. Mattila, Dario Ojeda, Jaakko S. Tyrmi, Witold Wachowiak, Stephen Cavers, Katri Karkkainen, Outi Savolainen, Tanja Pyhajarvi
Summary: Pinus sylvestris (Scots pine), the most widespread coniferous tree in Eurasia, has significant economic and ecological importance. A new 50K SNP genotyping array (PiSy50k) was developed to overcome the challenge of its large and repetitive genome for genetic studies and forestry applications. The array performed well in large-scale genotyping and validation, making it a valuable tool for future genetic studies and forestry applications.
Article
Plant Sciences
Witold Wachowiak, Annika Perry, Julia Zaborowska, Santiago C. Gonzalez-Martinez, Stephen Cavers
Summary: This study analysed genetic polymorphism in populations of Pinus sylvestris in Europe using nuclear and mitochondrial DNA markers. The results suggest that the patterns of variation are most likely due to colonization from multiple sources and efficient gene flow. Furthermore, several genes showing molecular signatures of selection in response to temperature variation were identified.
BOTANICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
K. Schonrogge, M. Gibbs, A. Oliver, S. Cavers, H. S. Gweon, R. A. Ennos, J. Cottrell, G. R. Iason, J. Taylor
Summary: This study used culturing and metabarcoding techniques to investigate the role of environmental and host genetic factors in shaping fungal endophyte communities in Scots pine needles. The results showed that both environmental and host genetic variation significantly influenced the composition and diversity of the fungal endophyte community.
Article
Plant Sciences
Julia Zaborowska, Annika Perry, Stephen Cavers, Witold M. Wachowiak
Summary: This study analyzed gene expression patterns in three closely related but phenotypically and ecologically divergent pine species and found that their gene expression profiles were very similar, with only a few genes significantly diverged between species. These diverged genes are mainly involved in wood trait properties, oxidative stress response, and response to abiotic factors such as salinity, drought, and temperature.
JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATICS AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Witold Wachowiak, Weronika B. Zukowska, Annika Perry, Andrzej Lewandowski, Stephen Cavers, Bartosz Labiszak
Summary: We analyzed mitochondrial DNA polymorphisms to investigate the genetic structure and admixture patterns of Scots pine in Europe and Asia. The study revealed weak population structure in Central and Eastern Europe, indicating postglacial expansion from multiple sources to middle and northern latitudes. The presence of different mitotype variants suggests distinct genetic lineages of the species in Europe, with contributions from various regions. Additionally, a refugium in the northern parts of the Black Sea basin played a role in the genetic variation observed in some populations in the Balkans, Ukraine, and western Russia.
JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATICS AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Nicolas Picard, Maurizio Marchi, Maria Jesus Serra-Varela, Marjana Westergren, Stephen Cavers, Eduardo Notivol, Andrea Piotti, Paraskevi Alizoti, Michele Bozzano, Santiago C. Gonzalez-Martinez, Delphine Grivet, Filippos A. Aravanopoulos, Giovanni Giuseppe Vendramin, Fulvio Ducci, Bruno Fady, Ricardo Alia
Summary: Marginal and peripheral populations play a crucial role in biodiversity conservation. However, testing theoretical hypotheses related to marginality is challenging due to confounding factors. Nine quantitative indices were designed to assess marginality and peripherality, which showed promising predictive abilities for the marginality status of populations.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Joan Beaton, Annika Perry, Joan Cottrell, Glenn Iason, Jenni Stockan, Stephen Cavers
Summary: Multisite common garden experiments provide a valuable resource for understanding species' response to environmental variation and quantifying plastic and genetic components of trait variation. These experiments are especially important for long-lived tree species, as their mature traits only manifest after many years.
Article
Plant Sciences
Weronika Barbara Zukowska, Andrzej Lewandowski, Blazej Wojkiewicz, Monika Litkowiec, Roman Rozkowski, Lech Urbaniak, Jan Kowalczyk
Summary: Silvicultural practices can have unpredictable effects on forest genetic resources, especially for species with northern distribution centers. This study compared the genetic diversity of the Scots pine seed tree stand, its natural regeneration, and two artificially established progeny plantations to determine the efficiency of gene pool transmission. The results showed that all stands represented a common genetic pool, with slightly higher observed heterozygosity in the progeny plantations. Inbreeding was significant only in natural regeneration. The study discusses genetic considerations for establishing and using seeds from progeny plantations in Poland.
Article
Forestry
Juliette Archambeau, Simone Bianchi, Joukje Buiteveld, Marta Callejas-Diaz, Stephen Cavers, Henrik Hallingback, Chedly Kastally, Marina de Miguel, Sven Mutke, Leopoldo Sanchez, Richard Whittet, Santiago C. Gonzalez-Martinez, Catherine Bastien
Summary: With the intensification of climate change, the fate of many world forests is becoming a major concern. The goal of the European Union (EU) member states to become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050 requires the planting of 3 billion additional trees by 2030. To meet this challenge, robust and efficient management and conservation strategies must be implemented, with intense knowledge and tool-sharing among experts, practitioners, and policymakers.
TREE GENETICS & GENOMES
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Weronika Barbara Zukowska, Blazej Wojkiewicz, Andrzej Lewandowski, Richard Laszlo, Witold Wachowiak
Summary: This study reveals the genetic variation and geographical structure of Scots pine populations in Eurasia. The populations in Central Europe and Fennoscandia show high admixture and low genetic structure, indicating past recolonization from multiple sources and the influence of human-mediated gene transfer. Active conservation is needed for marginal and isolated stands, and further genetic studies are necessary for certain areas of Scots pine distribution.
ANNALS OF FOREST SCIENCE
(2023)