Article
Evolutionary Biology
Kate L. Ostevik, Joanna L. Rifkin, Hanhan Xia, Mark D. Rausher
Summary: Hybridization between two different morning glory species can affect the strength of reproductive barriers, with asymmetric effects on barrier strength and potential changes to within-species compatibility. The study found that changes in compatibility between sympatric populations of the morning glory species may be due to introgression of alleles from one species into the other. This suggests that hybridization can influence not only isolation between species, but also contribute to isolation within a species.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ningning Wu, Elizabeth Evans, Bas van Schooten, Jesyka Melendez-Rosa, Yadira Ortiz, Silvia M. Planas Soto-Navarro, Steven M. Van Belleghem, Brian A. Counterman, Riccardo Papa, Wei Zhang
Summary: This study examines the gene expression profiles and genomic divergence of three sensory tissues between sexes and life stages in two hybridizing butterflies. The research found evidence of widespread gene expression divergence, supporting the crucial role of sensory tissues in the establishment of species barriers. The study also reveals that sensory diversification increases in a manner consistent with evolutionary divergence.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Review
Biology
Claudia Kohler, Katarzyna Dziasek, Gerardo Del Toro-De Leon
Summary: The endosperm is a developmental innovation of angiosperms that supports embryo growth and germination, while also preventing hybridization between different species to drive plant evolution. Current genetic approaches have revealed a significant role for epigenetic processes in establishing reproductive barriers in the endosperm.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
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
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)
Review
Plant Sciences
Edgar L. Y. Wong, Dmitry A. Filatov
Summary: It is well known that closely related species can hybridize and exchange genetic material, which can either promote or hinder adaptation and speciation. The heterogeneity of genomes in most eukaryotic species, such as variations in gene density, repetitive DNA, and chromatin compactness, can determine susceptibility to gene exchange from other species. Recombination rates also greatly influence the permeability of genomic regions to interspecific introgression, with regions lacking recombination impeding genetic exchange. The presence of large rarely recombining regions in plant genomes plays a significant role in preserving species identity in hybridizing plant species.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Francisco Javier Jimenez-Lopez, Montserrat Arista, Maria Talavera, Leonor Patricia Cerdeira Morellato, John R. Pannell, Juan Viruel, Pedro L. Ortiz Ballesteros
Summary: The genetic divergence between species depends on reproductive isolation (RI) caused by traits reducing interspecific mating (prezygotic isolation) or reduced hybrid fitness (postzygotic isolation). Prezygotic barriers were found to be generally stronger than postzygotic barriers, but previous studies mostly examined F-1 hybrid fitness in early life cycle stages. This study combined field and experimental data to assess the strength of 17 prezygotic and postzygotic reproductive barriers between co-occurring Lysimachia species. The results showed near complete RI between the two species, with prezygotic barriers contributing more in reducing gene flow in allopatry, while their contributions were more similar in sympatry. The strength of postzygotic RI was underestimated when effects on late stages of the life cycle were disregarded.
Article
Ecology
Christopher T. Ivey, Nicole M. Habecker, Jean Phillippe Bergmann, Jacob Ewald, Megan E. Frayer, Jenn M. Coughlan
Summary: This study examines potential reproductive barriers and gene flow between two species of plants in Northern California. The findings suggest that most barriers to reproduction are weak or absent, and there is extensive gene flow between the two species. Population genomic analyses reveal that natural selection may contribute to maintaining distinct phenotypic forms in the early stages of speciation.
Article
Ecology
Linyi Zhang, Glen R. Hood, Isaac Carroo, James R. Ott, Scott P. Egan
Summary: Divergent selection between alternative environments plays a crucial role in reproductive isolation, but the importance of within-environment variation in differentiation between lineages has been overlooked. This study revealed weak hybrid inviability between host-associated lineages of B. treatae despite strong genomic differentiation, with great variation in hybrid fitness observed on individual trees. Considering the environmental context of hybridization is essential for predicting divergence under variable selection.
AMERICAN NATURALIST
(2021)
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
Behavioral Sciences
Alex Van Huynh, Amber M. Rice
Summary: Preferences for mating cues, including odor signals, can impact speciation and reproductive isolation in natural hybrid zones. Hybrid individuals show varying preferences for parental species cues, with male hybrids showing overall no preference and female hybrids showing a preference for black-capped chickadee odor dependent on their black-capped ancestry. These preferences may play a role in reproductive isolation and the movement of hybrid zones.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY AND SOCIOBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Luiza Maria Grzyb Delgado, Jader de Oliveira, Amanda Ravazi, Fernanda Fernandez Madeira, Yago Visinho dos Reis, Heloisa Pinotti, Ana Beatriz Bortolozo de Oliveira, Isabella da Silva Masarin, Mauricio Lilioso, Elaine Folly-Ramos, Cleber Galvao, Maria Tercilia Vilela de Azeredo-Oliveira, Joao Aristeu da Rosa, Kaio Cesar Chaboli Alevi
Summary: The study demonstrated reproductive isolation between T. petrocchiae and T. b. brasiliensis and T. lenti, suggesting that T. petrocchiae is the most derived species within the T. brasiliensis complex.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alfredo O. Barrera-Guzman, Alexandre Aleixo, Maya Faccio, Sidnei de Melo Dantas, Jason T. Weir
Summary: This study uses genome-wide data and detailed phylogeographical sampling to uncover the unique lineages and levels of reproductive isolation of three parapatric manakin species. The results show that gene flow and genomic homogenization decrease with increasing evolutionary age, with the oldest lineages exhibiting narrow hybrid zones. The study suggests that Pipra manakins took one million years or more to become reproductively isolated and proposes reclassifying the six lineages as two or three reproductively isolated species.
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ricardo J. Pereira, Sonal Singhal
Summary: The study explores how lineages are products of evolutionary processes like genetic drift and selection. It shows that lineages are often ephemeral and do not always progress into fully reproductively isolated taxa, providing insights into the process of species formation.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Thomas H. Q. Powell, Glen Ray Hood, Meredith M. Doellman, Pheobe M. Deneen, James J. Smith, Stewart H. Berlocher, Jeffrey L. Feder
Summary: This study investigates the genetic variation and divergence in the Rhagoletis pomonella species group (RPSG) and finds that different taxa within the group are currently diverging under gene flow. The derived species are nested within the genetic variation of hawthorn-infesting populations of R. pomonella and show marked differences in genotype clustering and differentiation among sympatric populations.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Shuyu Liu, Lei Zhang, Yupeng Sang, Qiang Lai, Xinxin Zhang, Changfu Jia, Zhiqin Long, Jiali Wu, Tao Ma, Kangshan Mao, Nathaniel R. Street, Par K. Ingvarsson, Jianquan Liu, Jing Wang
Summary: Hybridization and introgression play important roles in shaping the tree of life. This study used whole-genome resequencing data to characterize hybridization patterns and genomic signatures of introgression in Populus species. The results reveal a high frequency of contemporary hybridization and the presence of F1 hybrids. Frequent past introgression is found to be a common feature in the speciation of these Populus species.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Shuai Yuan, Yong Shi, Biao-Feng Zhou, Yi-Ye Liang, Xue-Yan Chen, Qing-Qing An, Yan-Ru Fan, Zhao Shen, Par K. Ingvarsson, Baosheng Wang
Summary: Understanding the evolutionary processes that shape genetic variation and influence species' response to climate change is crucial for biodiversity conservation. This study sampled populations of a forest tree species, Quercus acutissima, in East Asia and used genome-wide analyses to trace its evolutionary history and predict population fate under future climate conditions. The study identified two genetic groups in Q. acutissima that diverged during the Pliocene and a heterogeneous landscape of genomic variation likely shaped by population history and selection. The research also found climate-associated genetic variations and estimated genetic vulnerability to climate change, indicating the risk of local extinction and maladaptation in certain areas. Overall, this study provides a comprehensive understanding of how evolutionary processes have shaped genomic variation and highlights the climate maladaptation in Q. acutissima.
Article
Forestry
Jonas Skytte af Satra, Firuz Odilbekov, Par K. Ingvarsson, Eric van de Weg, Larisa Garkava-Gustavsson
Summary: Resistance to European canker in apple is a crucial breeding target for commercial production in Sweden, and the Swedish cultivar 'Aroma' is considered to be one of the most resistant cultivars. Bayesian quantitative trait loci mapping was performed on a full-sib family of 'Aroma' x 'Discovery' to identify the genetic regions underlying resistance. The mapping identified five QTL regions associated with different parameters of lesion growth and these findings have implications for future breeding and genetic research.
TREE GENETICS & GENOMES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Huiying Shang, David L. Field, Ovidiu Paun, Martha Rendon-Anaya, Jaqueline Hess, Claus Vogl, Jianquan Liu, Par K. Ingvarsson, Christian Lexer, Thibault Leroy
Summary: Genomic landscapes of nucleotide diversity and differentiation are investigated to understand speciation processes. Resequencing 201 whole genomes from 8 closely related Populus species reveals extensive introgression between some species pairs. Conserved patterns of genomic divergence across species pairs are observed, with signatures of linked selection, gene flow, and standing genetic variation identified.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Joshua H. Kestel, Philip W. Bateman, David L. Field, Nicole E. White, Rose Lines, Paul Nevill
Summary: In the face of global biodiversity declines, it is increasingly important to survey beneficial and antagonistic arthropod diversity and the ecological services they provide. Conventional survey methods can be limiting in industries like agriculture, where arthropods play a critical role. Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding offers an accurate and efficient alternative by using crop flowers as a substrate. This study compared arthropod communities detected by eDNA metabarcoding of flowers with conventional survey techniques and found potential for revolutionizing arthropod community monitoring.
MOLECULAR ECOLOGY RESOURCES
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Francisco Gil-Munoz, Carolina Bernhardsson, Sonali Sachin Ranade, Douglas G. Scofield, Pertti O. Pulkkinen, Par K. Ingvarsson, M. Rosario Garcia-Gil
Summary: Pendula-phenotyped Norway spruce is of interest for high-density plantations and is believed to be caused by a dominant single mutation. A quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping based on F1 crosses between pendula and normal crowned trees was performed using NGS technologies. A single QTL was found near the center of LG VI in both crosses, with probe markers positioned 0.82 cm and 0.48 cm away from the Pendula marker in two independent crosses.
TREE GENETICS & GENOMES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Liang Xiao, Yuanyuan Fang, He Zhang, Mingyang Quan, Jiaxuan Zhou, Peng Li, Dan Wang, Li Ji, Par K. Ingvarsson, Harry X. Wu, Yousry A. El-Kassaby, Qingzhang Du, Deqiang Zhang
Summary: By conducting genome-wide association studies on a natural population of Populus tomentosa, we identified the genetic architecture that underlies stem perennial growth and identified the pivotal role of the PtoP4H9 gene in regulating stem growth.
Article
Plant Sciences
Diana Labastida, Par K. Ingvarsson, Martha Rendon-Anaya
Summary: The common bean is an essential food source for protein intake, but its cultivation is often limited by drought. This study aimed to understand the genetic components behind a functional stay-green phenotype, which delays senescence and enhances photosynthetic capacity under drought conditions. By screening and analyzing a diverse range of common bean cultivars, the researchers identified genetic variants and genomic windows associated with the stay-green phenotype. These findings provide valuable targets for further characterization and highlight the complex nature of the stay-green response in legumes.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Piotr Koczorski, Bliss Ursula Furtado, Christel Baum, Martin Weih, Paer Ingvarsson, Piotr Hulisz, Katarzyna Hrynkiewicz
Summary: Phosphorus is an essential nutrient for plant growth, but its availability in the soil is limited. Phosphate-solubilizing bacteria can solubilize phosphorus compounds, making them more accessible to plants. In this study, two willow species were inoculated with selected bacterial strains to evaluate their growth and gene expression. The results showed that inoculation increased biomass and had significant effects on growth patterns, but the responses varied between the two species. Transcriptome analysis revealed differential gene expression in pathways related to photosynthesis and ion transport. This study contributes to understanding the dynamics of Salix growth and gene expression under the influence of phosphate-solubilizing bacteria, improving yield and phosphorus-use efficiency.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Yousef Rahimi, Girma Bedada, Silvana Moreno, Anne-Maj Gustavsson, Par K. Ingvarsson, Anna Westerbergh
Summary: The study aims to investigate the phenotypic diversity in timothy grass and its related species, providing genetic resources for the improvement of cultivars. The research reveals the significant diversity in growth and development among different populations of timothy grass. Although cultivated and wild accessions of timothy grass show similar growth, they differ in plant development, suggesting that there has been no strong directional selection for increased yield during domestication and breeding.
Article
Forestry
Ann Christin Ronnberg-Wastljung, Anneli Adler, Almir Karacic, Kaspars Liepins, Thomas J. Richards, Par K. Ingvarsson, Martin Weih
Summary: The study analyzed the growth and phenotypic traits of 63 Populus trichocarpa clones suitable for growth in the Nordic-Baltic region, identifying some clones with high and stable performance across different field sites. These clones are of particular interest for future breeding and commercial deployment of Populus material in the region.
SCANDINAVIAN JOURNAL OF FOREST RESEARCH
(2022)