Article
Forestry
Gabriela Juri, Andrea C. Premoli
Summary: This study found that different plant populations have contrasting thermal requirements in sympatric and allopatric environments, leading to uncoupled phenologies. Temperature is the main driver of intraspecific phenological differences, with low elevation populations flowering earlier. Compared to allopatric populations, sympatric populations exhibit strict phenological isolation.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Himani Sachdeva
Summary: This paper examines the influence of linkage disequilibria (LD) on polygenic local adaptation and reproductive isolation between hybridizing populations, and investigates the conditions for population differentiation and loss of adaptation through theoretical approximations and simulations.
Article
Biology
Jennifer Walsh, Shawn M. Billerman, Bronwyn G. Butcher, Vanya G. Rohwer, David P. L. Toews, Vicens Vila-Coury, Irby J. Lovette
Summary: Genome-wide analyses of admixture between two closely related North American oriole species reveal longstanding barriers to reproductive isolation. This study provides insights into the mechanisms that facilitate and inhibit speciation using a hybrid zone between the Baltimore and Bullock's orioles. The findings highlight the complex interactions between pre- and post-mating barriers and the rapid accumulation of barriers between these species.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Sarah Petermann, Sabine Otto, Gerrit Eichner, Marc F. Schetelig
Summary: The study found that the SWD populations in Germany are highly homogeneous, without differences between populations or years, indicating good adaptation and minimal external invasions. However, the high genetic variability and migration between populations could lead to a rapid establishment of the pest species.
JOURNAL OF PEST SCIENCE
(2021)
Letter
Evolutionary Biology
Eva L. Koch, Hernan E. Morales, Jenny Larsson, Anja M. Westram, Rui Faria, Alan R. Lemmon, E. Moriarty Lemmon, Kerstin Johannesson, Roger K. Butlin
Summary: Chromosomal inversions play a key role in local adaptation by preserving coadapted gene complexes and protecting them from gene flow. The marine snail Littorina saxatilis is an ideal study system to investigate the associations between genomic regions and traits under divergent selection. Some inversions influence multiple traits, suggesting they contain multiple loci involved in adaptation.
Article
Ecology
Grzegorz Migdalek, Marcin Zelawski
Summary: Hybridization is an important factor in plant evolution, and topological data analysis provides a new method for measuring gene flow. This study presents a novel graph-based approach to measure gene flow, which is applicable to ongoing speciation and hybridization processes in various mating systems. The results demonstrate a strong positive correlation between the parameter based on the first Betti number and the number of migrants. This method is suitable for various types of data.
ECOLOGICAL INFORMATICS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sebastian Morales-Pison, Julio C. Tapia, Sarai Morales-Gonzalez, Edio Maldonado, Monica Acuna, Gloria M. Calaf, Lilian Jara
Summary: This study found that specific germline variants in driver genes MAP3K1, SF3B1, and SMAD4 contribute to the risk of breast cancer in the Chilean population.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Quiterie Haenel, Krista B. Oke, Telma G. Laurentino, Andrew P. Hendry, Daniel Berner
Summary: This study investigates how ecological divergence leads to strong reproductive isolation between populations in close geographic contact, using whole-genome sequencing of stickleback fish populations adapted to neighboring lake and stream habitats. The findings highlight the efficacy of polygenic selection in maintaining reproductive isolation without physical isolation, emphasizing the importance of studying speciation at fine eco-geographic and genomic scales.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Adan F. Mar-Silva, Pindaro Diaz-Jaimes, Cristina Dominguez-Mendoza, Omar Dominguez-Dominguez, Jonathan Valdiviezo-Rivera, Eduardo Espinoza-Herrera
Summary: This study found that oceanographic conditions and habitat characteristics have an impact on genetic structure in marine species, using Lutjanus guttatus as an example. The Gulf of Panama, as part of the Tropical Eastern Pacific, acts as a barrier to gene flow due to its complex current system and heterogeneous environment. The results suggest that adaptive selection plays a crucial role in population differentiation for Lutjanus guttatus.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Binhong Wen, Sile Hu, Jun Yin, Jianghong Wu, Wenrui Guo
Summary: This study analyzed the inhibitory effects of the Dkk family on the Wnt signaling pathway and its relationship with the development of skin and hair. The results showed that the genes of the Dkk family underwent significant changes in evolution, with accelerated evolution observed in the Aves and Reptilia branches. Functional divergence analysis revealed that most of the functional divergence sites were located in the Cys-2 domain. These findings contribute to the understanding of the functional differences of the Dkk family in skin and hair development.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sonal Singhal, Guarino R. Colli, Maggie R. Grundler, Gabriel C. Costa, Ivan Prates, Daniel L. Rabosky
Summary: The rates of species formation vary across different taxa and are affected by both microevolutionary processes and macroevolutionary patterns. This study demonstrates that population isolation has little influence on speciation rates in lizards and snakes, suggesting that other stages of speciation may play larger roles.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Matthew J. Christmas, Julia C. Jones, Anna Olsson, Ola Wallerman, Ignas Bunikis, Marcin Kierczak, Valentina Peona, Kaitlyn M. Whitley, Tuuli Larva, Alexander Suh, Nicole E. Miller-Struttmann, Jennifer C. Geib, Matthew T. Webster
Summary: Evidence suggests that gene flow commonly occurs between recently diverged species, despite barriers to gene flow. Genetic barriers to gene flow often accumulate in regions of low recombination and near centromeres.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Che-Wei Chang, Eyal Fridman, Martin Mascher, Axel Himmelbach, Karl Schmid
Summary: This study investigates the association between genomic variation of wild barley populations in the Southern Levant and geographical and environmental factors. The results suggest that geographical barriers and spatial autocorrelation play a role in genetic differentiation, while environmental variables also contribute to genomic variation. Selection signatures were detected in specific genomic regions, but mostly disappeared after accounting for population structure. The study highlights the limited impact of short-range adaptation on the genomic diversity of wild barley and emphasizes the importance of nonselective forces in genetic differentiation.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Xuefeng Fang, Dong Dong, Mei Yang, Xinzheng Li
Summary: This study confirmed a new species within the Petrolisthes lamarckii-P. haswelli complex through morphological and molecular analysis, and constructed an evolutionary tree of this complex. The divergence of this complex was traced back to the Miocene epoch, and genetic diversity increased during the Mid-Pleistocene transition period. Also, the demographic history and gene flow of Petrolisthes haswelli in Chinese coastal populations were influenced by ocean currents.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Peter T. Euclide, Wesley A. Larson, Yue Shi, Kristen Gruenthal, Kris A. Christensen, Jim Seeb, Lisa Seeb
Summary: This study used whole genome resequencing to identify 64 islands of divergence in sockeye salmon, with 16 clustered in four genomic regions shared by two isolated populations. These islands were created by a variety of mechanisms, including structural and non-structural variation. The differentiation at these islands did not consistently correlate with established population attributes.
Review
Evolutionary Biology
Maciej Pabijan, Gemma Palomar, Bernardo Antunes, Weronika Antol, Piotr Zielinski, Wieslaw Babik
EVOLUTIONARY APPLICATIONS
(2020)
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Jacek Radwan, Wieslaw Babik, Jim Kaufman, Tobias L. Lenz, Jamie Winternitz
TRENDS IN GENETICS
(2020)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Krystyna Nadachowska-Brzyska, Ludovic Dutoit, Linnea Smeds, Martin Kardos, Lars Gustafsson, Hans Ellegren
Summary: Long-term effective population size (N-e) is crucial in evolutionary biology and population genetics, with numerous estimates available for various species and populations. However, estimating contemporary N-e remains challenging, especially with LD-based methods. Whole-genome sequencing data offers new possibilities in estimating high contemporary N-e.
Review
Ecology
Krystyna Nadachowska-Brzyska, Mateusz Konczal, Wieslaw Babik
Summary: Effective population size (Ne) is a key evolutionary parameter that determines genetic variation levels and selection efficacy. Ne estimation and interpretation are essential in evolutionary and conservation biology, with diverse applications and methods available. Recent advancements in estimating temporal Ne trends provide a comprehensive understanding of the evolutionary continuum.
METHODS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Bernardo Antunes, Clara Figueiredo-Vazquez, Katarzyna Dudek, Marcin Liana, Maciej Pabijan, Piotr Zielinski, Wieslaw Babik
Summary: This study investigates the connectivity patterns of two closely related newt species using genomic data and tools from landscape genetics. The results show that forest habitat is important for connectivity in both species, but they differ in their use of forested habitat. Anthropogenic landscapes increase resistance in both species, but have a stronger effect on the range-restricted species.
Article
Ecology
Jonathan M. Parrett, Sebastian Chmielewski, Eylem Aydogdu, Aleksandra Lukasiewicz, Stephane Rombauts, Agnieszka Szubert-Kruszynska, Wieslaw Babik, Mateusz Konczal, Jacek Radwan
Summary: Populations of a bulb mite experimentally selected for a male weapon showed reduced diversity across the genome, indicating increased purifying selection due to strong sexual selection. The populations selected for the weapon exhibited lower genome-wide diversity, particularly in terms of non-synonymous positions, suggesting enhanced purifying selection.
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tomasz S. S. Gaczorek, Marzena Marszalek, Katarzyna Dudek, Jan W. W. Arntzen, Ben Wielstra, Wieslaw Babik
Summary: This study provides evidence for the prevalence of MHC gene introgression across multiple Triturus hybrid zones, indicating that MHC introgression between divergent hybridizing species may be widespread and adaptive.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Claudia A. Martin, Eleanor C. Sheppard, Juan Carlos Illera, Alexander Suh, Krystyna Nadachowska-Brzyska, Lewis G. Spurgin, David S. Richardson
Summary: Genomes contain evidence of demographic history and evolutionary forces that shape populations and drive speciation. The study investigated the diversity of the Berthelot's pipit populations and found that the most significant reduction in diversity occurred between the mainland sister species and Berthelot's pipit. The study also revealed the impact of colonization events and bottleneck effects on the populations. Rating: 8/10
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Ke He, Wieslaw Babik, Mateusz Majda, Piotr Minias
Summary: We used genomic data to reconstruct the macroevolution of the MHC region in amphibians and found that the ancestral MHC region was relatively simple and compact, with a close physical linkage between MHC-I and MHC-II regions. This structure was conserved in anurans, but there was evidence for dynamic evolutionary trajectories in the duplication and expansion of gene copy number in the class I subregion. We also found that intronic regions of amphibian classical MHC genes were longer compared to other tetrapod lineages, possibly due to genome size expansion.
GENOME BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tomasz Sebastian Gaczorek, Mateusz Chechetkin, Katarzyna Dudek, Guilherme Caeiro-Dias, Pierre-Andre Crochet, Philippe Geniez, Catarina Pinho, Wieslaw Babik
Summary: Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes are crucial for the adaptive immune response of jawed vertebrates. This study found widespread MHC introgression in the Podarcis lizards inhabiting the Iberian Peninsula, suggesting its adaptiveness. The study supports the emerging view of adaptive introgression as a key mechanism shaping MHC diversity and raises questions about the effect of elevated MHC variation and factors leading to the asymmetry of adaptive introgression.
Article
Evolutionary Biology
W. Babik, K. Dudek, M. Marszalek, G. Palomar, B. Antunes, S. Sniegula
Summary: The process of urbanization presents significant challenges to organisms, and this study aims to understand the genetic adaptations of damselflies to urban environments. Using genome scanning methods, the researchers identified candidate genetic markers related to urbanization in different geographical regions. Interestingly, genes involved in synapse organization were found to be associated with the adaptive response in the nervous system. This finding highlights the polygenic nature of adaptation to urbanization and mirrors previous studies in different species.
EVOLUTIONARY APPLICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Maciej J. Ejsmond, Jacek Radwan, Anna Ejsmond, Tomasz Gaczorek, Wieslaw Babik
Summary: The coevolution between host and pathogen can influence the evolution of host life histories, including age at maturation and body size. The MHC-pathogen coevolution and its impact on host mortality rates can lead to postponed maturation and increased body size.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
David Herczeg, Gemma Palomar, Piotr Zielinski, Isolde van Riemsdijk, Wieslaw Babik, Robert Dankovics, Balint Halpern, Milena Cvijanovic, Judit Voros
Summary: This study examined the population genomic structure of smooth newt lineages in the Carpathian Basin and found high genetic diversity, especially in the North Hungarian Mountains and at the interfluves of the main rivers in the South. The study also revealed that the river Tisza acts as a geographical barrier limiting gene flow between different lineages of smooth newts.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ismael Reyes-Moya, Gregorio Sanchez-Montes, Wieslaw Babik, Katarzyna Dudek, Inigo Martinez-Solano
Summary: Preserving functional connectivity is crucial for maintaining genetic diversity and the viability of biotic communities. This study investigated the relationships between genetic connectivity and demographic parameters in five pond-breeding amphibians. The results showed that local population sizes had a significant effect on genetic differentiation at small spatial scales. Movement records and cluster-derived kernels provided reliable inferences on likely dispersal paths.