Sexually selected differences in warbler plumage are related to a putative inversion on the Z chromosome

Large structural variants in the genome, such as inversions, may play an important role in producing population structure and local adaptation to the environment through suppression of recombination. However, relatively few studies have linked inversions to phenotypic traits that are sexually selected and may play a role in reproductive isolation. Here, we found that geographic differences in the sexually selected plumage of a warbler, the common yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas), are largely due to differences in the Z (sex) chromosome (males are ZZ), which contains at least one putative inversion spanning 40% (31/77 Mb) of its length. The inversions on the Z chromosome vary dramatically east and west of the Appalachian Mountains, which provides evidence of cryptic population structure within the range of the most widespread eastern subspecies (G. t. trichas). In an eastern (New York) and western (Wisconsin) population of this subspecies, female prefer different male ornaments; larger black facial masks are preferred in Wisconsin and larger yellow breasts are preferred in New York. The putative inversion also contains genes related to vision, which could influence mating preferences. Thus, structural variants on the Z chromosome are associated with geographic differences in male ornaments and female choice, which may provide a mechanism for maintaining different patterns of sexual selection in spite of gene flow between populations of the same subspecies.

Signatures of convergence in Neotropical cichlid fish

Convergent evolution of similar phenotypes suggests some predictability in the evolutionary trajectories of organisms, due to strong and repeated selective pressures, and/or developmental constraints. In adaptive radiations, particularly in cichlid fish radiations, convergent phenotypes are commonly found within and across geographical settings. Cichlids show major repeated axes of morphological diversification. Recurrent changes in body patterns reveal adaption to alternative habitats, and modifications of the trophic apparatus respond to the exploitation of different food resources. Here we compare morphologically and genetically two Neotropical cichlid assemblages, the Mexican desert cichlid and the Nicaraguan Midas cichlid, with similar polymorphic body and trophic adaptations despite their independent evolution. We found a common morphological axis of differentiation in trophic structures in both cichlid radiations, but two different axes of differentiation in body shape, defining two alternative limnetic body patterns. Adaptation to limnetic habitats implied regulation of immune functions in the Midas cichlid, while morphogenesis and metabolic functions in the desert cichlid. Convergent phenotypic adaptions could be associated to divergent gene regulation.

Four new species of Cichlidogyrus (Platyhelminthes, Monopisthocotyla, Dactylogyridae) from Lake Victoria haplochromine cichlid fishes, with the redescription of C. bifurcatus and C. longipenis

African cichlids are model systems for evolutionary studies and host-parasite interactions, because of their adaptive radiations and because they harbour many species of monogenean parasites with high host-specificity. Five locations were sampled in southern Lake Victoria: gill-infecting monogeneans were surveyed from 18 cichlid species belonging to this radiation superflock and two others representing two older and distantly related lineages. We found one species of Gyrodactylidae, Gyrodactylus sturmbaueri Vanhove, Snoeks, Volckaert & Huyse, 2011, and seven species of Dactylogyridae. Four are described herein: Cichlidogyrus pseudodossoui n. sp., Cichlidogyrus nyanza n. sp., Cichlidogyrus furu n. sp., and Cichlidogyrus vetusmolendarius n. sp. Another Cichlidogyrus species is reported but not formally described (low number of specimens, morphological similarity with C. furu n. sp.). Two other species are redescribed: C. bifurcatus Paperna, 1960 and C. longipenis Paperna & Thurston, 1969. Our results confirm that the monogenean fauna of Victorian littoral cichlids displays lower species richness and lower host-specificity than that of Lake Tanganyika littoral cichlids. In C. furu n. sp., hooks V are clearly longer than the others, highlighting the need to re-evaluate the current classification system that considers hook pairs III-VII as rather uniform. Some morphological features of C. bifurcatus, C. longipenis, and C. nyanza n. sp. suggest that these are closely related to congeners that infect other haplochromines. Morphological traits indicate that representatives of Cichlidogyrus colonised Lake Victoria haplochromines or their ancestors at least twice, which is in line with the Lake Victoria superflock being colonised by two cichlid tribes (Haplochromini and Oreochromini).

Genomics of hybrid parallel origin in Aquilegia ecalcarata

BACKGROUND

The parallel evolution of similar traits or species provides strong evidence for the role of natural selection in evolution. Traits or species that evolved repeatedly can be driven by separate de novo mutations or interspecific gene flow. Although parallel evolution has been reported in many studies, documented cases of parallel evolution caused by gene flow are scarce by comparison. Aquilegia ecalcarata and A. kansuensis belong to the genus of Aquilegia, and are the closest related sister species. Mutiple origins of A. ecalcarata have been reported in previous studies, but whether they have been driven by separate de novo mutations or gene flow remains unclear.

RESULTS

In this study, We conducted genomic analysis from 158 individuals of two repeatedly evolving pairs of A. ecalcarata and A. kansuensis. All samples were divided into two distinct clades with obvious geographical distribution based on phylogeny and population structure. Demographic modeling revealed that the origin of the A. ecalcarata in the Eastern of China was caused by gene flow, and the Eastern A. ecalcarata occurred following introgression from Western A. ecalcarata population. Analysis of Treemix and D-statistic also revealed that a strong signal of gene flow was detected from Western A. ecalcarata to Eastern A. ecalcarata. Genetic divergence and selective sweep analyses inferred parallel regions of genomic divergence and identified many candidate genes associated with ecologically adaptive divergence between species pair. Comparative analysis of parallel diverged regions and gene introgression confirms that gene flow contributed to the parallel evolution of A. ecalcarata.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results further confirmed the multiple origins of A. ecalcarata and highlighted the roles of gene flow. These findings provide new evidence for parallel origin after hybridization as well as insights into the ecological adaptation mechanisms underlying the parallel origins of species.

Genomic landscapes of divergence among island bird populations: Evidence of parallel adaptation but at different loci?

When populations colonise new environments, they may be exposed to novel selection pressures but also suffer from extensive genetic drift due to founder effects, small population sizes and limited interpopulation gene flow. Genomic approaches enable us to study how these factors drive divergence, and disentangle neutral effects from differentiation at specific loci due to selection. Here, we investigate patterns of genetic diversity and divergence using whole-genome resequencing (>22× coverage) in Berthelot's pipit (Anthus berthelotii), a passerine endemic to the islands of three north Atlantic archipelagos. Strong environmental gradients, including in pathogen pressure, across populations in the species range, make it an excellent system in which to explore traits important in adaptation and/or incipient speciation. First, we quantify how genomic divergence accumulates across the speciation continuum, that is, among Berthelot's pipit populations, between sub species across archipelagos, and between Berthelot's pipit and its mainland ancestor, the tawny pipit (Anthus campestris). Across these colonisation timeframes (2.1 million-ca. 8000 years ago), we identify highly differentiated loci within genomic islands of divergence and conclude that the observed distributions align with expectations for non-neutral divergence. Characteristic signatures of selection are identified in loci associated with craniofacial/bone and eye development, metabolism and immune response between population comparisons. Interestingly, we find limited evidence for repeated divergence of the same loci across the colonisation range but do identify different loci putatively associated with the same biological traits in different populations, likely due to parallel adaptation. Incipient speciation across these island populations, in which founder effects and selective pressures are strong, may therefore be repeatedly associated with morphology, metabolism and immune defence.

Sympatry and parapatry among rocky reef cichlids of Lake Victoria explained by female mating preferences

Work on the Lake Victoria cichlids Pundamilia nyererei (red dorsum males, deeper water), Pundamilia pundamilia (blue males, shallower water) and related species pairs has provided insights into processes of speciation. Here, we investigate the female mating behaviour of 5 Pundamilia species and 4 of their F1 hybrids through mate choice trials and paternity testing. Complete assortative mating was observed among all sympatric species. Parapatric species with similar depth habitat distributions interbred whereas other parapatric and allopatric species showed complete assortative mating. F1 hybrids mated exclusively with species accepted by females of the parental species. The existence of complete assortative mating among some currently allopatric species suggests that pre-existing mating barriers could be sufficient to explain current patterns of co-existence, although, of course, many other factors may be involved. Regardless of the mechanism, mating preferences may influence species distribution in potentially hybridizing taxa, such as in the adaptive radiation of cichlid fish. We suggest that this at least partly explains why some species fail to establish breeding populations in locations where they are occasionally recorded. Our results support the notion that the mating preferences of potentially cross-breeding species ought to be included in coexistence theory.

selscan 2.0: scanning for sweeps in unphased data

SUMMARY

Several popular haplotype-based statistics for identifying recent or ongoing positive selection in genomes require knowledge of haplotype phase. Here, we provide an update to selscan which implements a re-definition of these statistics for use in unphased data.

AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION

Source code and binaries are freely available at https://github.com/szpiech/selscan, implemented in C/C++, and supported on Linux, Windows, and MacOS.

The genomes of Darwin's primroses reveal chromosome-scale adaptive introgression and differential permeability of species boundaries

Introgression is an important source of genetic variation that can determine species adaptation to environmental conditions. Yet, definitive evidence of the genomic and adaptive implications of introgression in nature remains scarce. The widespread hybrid zones of Darwin's primroses (Primula elatior, Primula veris, and Primula vulgaris) provide a unique natural laboratory for studying introgression in flowering plants and the varying permeability of species boundaries. Through analysis of 650 genomes, we provide evidence of an introgressed genomic region likely to confer adaptive advantage in conditions of soil toxicity. We also document unequivocal evidence of chloroplast introgression, an important precursor to species-wide chloroplast capture. Finally, we provide the first evidence that the S-locus supergene, which controls heterostyly in primroses, does not introgress in this clade. Our results contribute novel insights into the adaptive role of introgression and demonstrate the importance of extensive genomic and geographical sampling for illuminating the complex nature of species boundaries.

Developmental and environmental plasticity in opsin gene expression in Lake Victoria cichlid fish

In many organisms, sensory abilities develop and evolve according to the changing demands of navigating, foraging, and communication across different environments and life stages. Teleost fish inhabit heterogeneous light environments and exhibit a large diversity in visual system properties among species. Cichlids are a classic example of this diversity; visual system variation is generated by different tuning mechanisms that involve both genetic factors and phenotypic plasticity. Here, we document the developmental progression of visual pigment gene expression in Lake Victoria cichlids and test if these patterns are influenced by variation in light conditions. We reared two sister species of Pundamilia to adulthood in two distinct visual conditions that resemble the light environments that they naturally inhabit in Lake Victoria. We also included interspecific first-generation hybrids. We focused on the four opsins that are expressed in Pundamilia adults (using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR)) (SWS2B, SWS2A, RH2A, and LWS) at 17 time points. We find that opsin expression profiles progress from shorter-wavelength sensitive opsins to longer-wavelength sensitive opsins with increasing age, in both species and their hybrids. The developmental trajectories of opsin expression also responded plastically to the visual conditions. Developmental and environmental plasticity in opsin expression may provide an important stepping stone in the evolution of cichlid visual system diversity.

Recent parallel speciation in Antirrhinum involved complex haplotypes and multiple adaptive characters

A role of ecological adaptation in speciation can be obscured by stochastic processes and differences that species accumulate after genetic isolation. One way to identify adaptive characters and their underlying genes is to study cases of speciation involving parallel adaptations. Recently resolved phylogenies reveal that alpine morphology has evolved in parallel in the genus Antirrhinum (snapdragons): first in an early split of an alpine from a lowland lineage and, more recently, from within the lowland lineage to produce closely related sympatric species with contrasting alpine and lowland forms. Here, we find that two of these later diverged sympatric species are differentiated by only around 2% of nuclear loci. Though showing evidence of recent gene flow, the species remain distinct for a suite of morphological characters typical of earlier-diverged alpine or lowland lineages and their morphologies correlate with features of the local landscape, as expected of ecological adaptations. Morphological differences between the two species involve multiple, unlinked genes so that parental character combinations are readily broken up by recombination in hybrids. We detect little evidence for post-pollination barriers to gene flow or recombination, suggesting that genetic isolation related to ecological adaptation is important in maintaining character combinations and might have contributed to parallel speciation. We also find evidence that genes involved in the earlier alpine-lowland split were reused in parallel evolution of alpine species, consistent with introgressive hybridisation, and speculate that many non-ecological barriers to gene flow might have been purged during the process.

Multiple paths toward repeated phenotypic evolution in the spiny-leg adaptive radiation (Tetragnatha; Hawai'i)

The repeated evolution of phenotypes provides clear evidence for the role of natural selection in driving evolutionary change. However, the evolutionary origin of repeated phenotypes can be difficult to disentangle as it can arise from a combination of factors such as gene flow, shared ancestral polymorphisms or mutation. Here, we investigate the presence of these evolutionary processes in the Hawaiian spiny-leg Tetragnatha adaptive radiation, which includes four microhabitat-specialists or ecomorphs, with different body pigmentation and size (Green, Large Brown, Maroon, and Small Brown). We investigated the evolutionary history of this radiation using 76 newly generated low-coverage, whole-genome resequenced samples, along with phylogenetic and population genomic tools. Considering the Green ecomorph as the ancestral state, our results suggest that the Green ecomorph likely re-evolved once, the Large Brown and Maroon ecomorphs evolved twice and the Small Brown evolved three times. We found that the evolution of the Maroon and Small Brown ecomorphs likely involved ancestral hybridization events, while the Green and Large Brown ecomorphs likely evolved through novel mutations, despite a high rate of incomplete lineage sorting in the dataset. Our findings demonstrate that the repeated evolution of ecomorphs in the Hawaiian spiny-leg Tetragnatha is influenced by multiple evolutionary processes.

Mitogenomic Characterization of Cameroonian Endemic Coptodon camerunensis (Cichliformes: Cichlidae) and Matrilineal Phylogeny of Old-World Cichlids

The mitogenomic evolution of old-world cichlids is still largely incomplete in Western Africa. In this present study, the complete mitogenome of the Cameroon endemic cichlid, Coptodon camerunensis, was determined by next-generation sequencing. The mitogenome was 16,557 bp long and encoded with 37 genes (13 protein-coding genes, two ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, and a control region). The C. camerunensis mitogenome is AT-biased (52.63%), as exhibited in its congener, Coptodon zillii (52.76% and 53.04%). The majority of PCGs start with an ATG initiation codon, except COI, which starts with a GTG codon and five PCGs and ends with the TAA termination codon and except seven PCGs with an incomplete termination codon. In C. camerunensis mitogenome, most tRNAs showed classical cloverleaf secondary structures, except tRNA-serine with a lack of DHU stem. Comparative analyses of the conserved blocks of two Coptodonini species control regions revealed that the CSB-II block was longer than other blocks and contained highly variable sites. Using 13 concatenated PCGs, the mitogenome-based Bayesian phylogeny easily distinguished all the examined old-world cichlids. Except for Oreochromini and Coptodinini tribe members, the majority of the taxa exhibited monophyletic clustering within their respective lineages. C. camerunensis clustered closely with Heterotilapia buttikoferi (tribe Heterotilapiini) and had paraphyletic clustering with its congener, C. zillii. The Oreochromini species also displayed paraphyletic grouping, and the genus Oreochromis showed a close relationship with Coptodinini and Heterotilapiini species. In addition, illustrating the known distribution patterns of old-world cichlids, the present study is congruent with the previous hypothesis and proclaims that prehistoric geological evolution plays a key role in the hydroclimate of the African continent during Mesozoic, which simultaneously disperses and/or colonizes cichlids in different ichthyological provinces and Rift Lake systems in Africa. The present study suggests that further mitogenomes of cichlid species are required, especially from western Africa, to understand their unique evolution and adaptation.

Genome assembly, structural variants, and genetic differentiation between lake whitefish young species pairs (Coregonus sp.) with long and short reads

Nascent pairs of ecologically differentiated species offer an opportunity to get a better glimpse at the genetic architecture of speciation. Of particular interest is our recent ability to consider a wider range of genomic variants, not only single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), thanks to long-read sequencing technology. We can now identify structural variants (SVs) such as insertions, deletions and other rearrangements, allowing further insights into the genetic architecture of speciation and how different types of variants are involved in species differentiation. Here, we investigated genomic patterns of differentiation between sympatric species pairs (Dwarf and Normal) belonging to the lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) species complex. We assembled the first reference genomes for both C. clupeaformis sp. Normal and C. clupeaformis sp. Dwarf, annotated the transposable elements and analysed the genomes in the light of related coregonid species. Next, we used a combination of long- and short-read sequencing to characterize SVs and genotype them at the population scale using genome-graph approaches, showing that SVs cover five times more of the genome than SNPs. We then integrated both SNPs and SVs to investigate the genetic architecture of species differentiation in two different lakes and highlighted an excess of shared outliers of differentiation. In particular, a large fraction of SVs differentiating the two species correspond to insertions or deletions of transposable elements (TEs), suggesting that TE accumulation may represent a key component of genetic divergence between the Dwarf and Normal species. Together, our results suggest that SVs may play an important role in speciation and that, by combining second- and third-generation sequencing, we now have the ability to integrate SVs into speciation genomics.

A Phylogenomic Assessment of Processes Underpinning Convergent Evolution in Open-Habitat Chats

Insights into the processes underpinning convergent evolution advance our understanding of the contributions of ancestral, introgressed, and novel genetic variation to phenotypic evolution. Phylogenomic analyses characterizing genome-wide gene tree heterogeneity can provide first clues about the extent of ILS and of introgression and thereby into the potential of these processes or (in their absence) the need to invoke novel mutations to underpin convergent evolution. Here, we were interested in understanding the processes involved in convergent evolution in open-habitat chats (wheatears of the genus Oenanthe and their relatives). To this end, based on whole-genome resequencing data from 50 taxa of 44 species, we established the species tree, characterized gene tree heterogeneity, and investigated the footprints of ILS and introgression within the latter. The species tree corroborates the pattern of abundant convergent evolution, especially in wheatears. The high levels of gene tree heterogeneity in wheatears are explained by ILS alone only for 30% of internal branches. For multiple branches with high gene tree heterogeneity, D-statistics and phylogenetic networks identified footprints of introgression. Finally, long branches without extensive ILS between clades sporting similar phenotypes provide suggestive evidence for the role of novel mutations in the evolution of these phenotypes. Together, our results suggest that convergent evolution in open-habitat chats involved diverse processes and highlight that phenotypic diversification is often complex and best depicted as a network of interacting lineages.

Redundancy analysis, genome-wide association studies and the pigmentation of brown trout (Salmo trutta L.)

The association of molecular variants with phenotypic variation is a main issue in biology, often tackled with genome-wide association studies (GWAS). GWAS are challenging, with increasing, but still limited, use in evolutionary biology. We used redundancy analysis (RDA) as a complimentary ordination approach to single- and multitrait GWAS to explore the molecular basis of pigmentation variation in brown trout (Salmo trutta) belonging to wild populations impacted by hatchery fish. Based on 75,684 single nucleotide polymorphic (SNP) markers, RDA, single- and multitrait GWAS allowed the extraction of 337 independent colour patterning loci (CPLs) associated with trout pigmentation traits, such as the number of red and black spots on flanks. Collectively, these CPLs (i) mapped onto 35 out of 40 brown trout linkage groups indicating a polygenic genomic architecture of pigmentation, (ii) were found to be associated with 218 candidate genes, including 197 genes formerly mentioned in the literature associated to skin pigmentation, skin patterning, differentiation or structure notably in a close relative, the rainbow trout (Onchorhynchus mykiss), and (iii) related to functions relevant to pigmentation variation (e.g., calcium- and ion-binding, cell adhesion). Annotated CPLs include genes with well-known pigmentation effects (e.g., PMEL, SLC45A2, SOX10), but also markers associated with genes formerly found expressed in rainbow or brown trout skins. RDA was also shown to be useful to investigate management issues, especially the dynamics of trout pigmentation submitted to several generations of hatchery introgression.

Cryptic diversity impacts model selection and macroevolutionary inferences in diversification analyses

Species persist in landscapes through ecological dynamics but proliferate at wider spatial scales through evolutionary mechanisms. Disentangling the contribution of each dynamic is challenging, but the increasing use of dated molecular phylogenies opened new perspectives. First, the increasing use of DNA sequences in biodiversity inventory shed light on a substantial amount of cryptic diversity in species-rich ecosystems. Second, explicit diversification models accounting for various eco-evolutionary models are now available. Integrating both advances, we explored diversification trajectories among 10 lineages of freshwater fishes in Sundaland, for which time-calibrated and taxonomically rich phylogenies are available. By fitting diversification models to dated phylogenies and incorporating DNA-based species delimitation methods, the impact of cryptic diversity on diversification model selection and related inferences is explored. Eight clades display constant speciation rate model as the most likely if cryptic diversity is accounted, but nine display a signature of diversification slowdowns when cryptic diversity is ignored. Cryptic diversification occurs during the last 5 Myr for most groups, and palaeoecological models received little support. Most cryptic lineages display restricted range distribution, supporting geographical isolation across homogeneous landscapes as the main driver of diversification. These patterns question the persistence of cryptic diversity and its role during species proliferation.

Phylogenomics reveals the evolution, biogeography, and diversification history of voles in the Hengduan Mountains

The Hengduan Mountains (HDM) of China are a biodiversity hotspot whose temperate flora and fauna are among the world's richest. However, the origin and evolution of biodiversity in the HDM remain poorly understood, especially in mammals. Given that the HDM shows the highest richness of vole species in the world, we used whole-exome capture sequencing data from the currently most comprehensive sampling of HDM voles to investigate their evolutionary history and diversification patterns. We reconstructed a robust phylogeny and re-estimated divergence times of the HDM voles. We found that all HDM voles could be divided into a western lineage (Volemys, Proedromys, and Neodon) and an eastern lineage (Caryomys and Eothenomys), and the two lineages originated from two migration events from North Eurasia to the HDM approximately 9 Mya. Both vole lineages underwent a significant acceleration of net diversification from 8-5 Mya, which was temporally congruent with the orogeny of the HDM region. We also identified strong intertribal gene flow among the HDM voles and hypothesized that frequent gene flow might have facilitated the speciation burst of the HDM voles. Our study highlights the importance of both environmental and biotic factors in shaping the biodiversity of mammals in mountain ecosystems.

Repeated genetic adaptation to altitude in two tropical butterflies

Repeated evolution can provide insight into the mechanisms that facilitate adaptation to novel or changing environments. Here we study adaptation to altitude in two tropical butterflies, Heliconius erato and H. melpomene, which have repeatedly and independently adapted to montane habitats on either side of the Andes. We sequenced 518 whole genomes from altitudinal transects and found many regions differentiated between highland (~ 1200 m) and lowland (~ 200 m) populations. We show repeated genetic differentiation across replicate populations within species, including allopatric comparisons. In contrast, there is little molecular parallelism between the two species. By sampling five close relatives, we find that a large proportion of divergent regions identified within species have arisen from standing variation and putative adaptive introgression from high-altitude specialist species. Taken together our study supports a role for both standing genetic variation and gene flow from independently adapted species in promoting parallel local adaptation to the environment.

Here, the authors study adaptation to altitude in 518 whole genomes from two species of tropical butterflies. They find repeated genetic differentiation within species, little molecular parallelism between these species, and introgression from closely related species, concluding that standing genetic variation promotes parallel local adaptation.

Contribution of opsins and chromophores to cone pigment variation across populations of Lake Victoria cichlids

Adaptation to heterogeneous sensory environments has been implicated as a key parameter in speciation. Cichlid fish are a textbook example of divergent visual adaptation, mediated by variation in the sequences and expression levels of cone opsin genes (encoding the protein component of visual pigments). In some vertebrates including fish, visual sensitivity is also tuned by the ratio of vitamin A₁ /A₂ -derived chromophores (i.e., the light-sensitive component of the visual pigment bound to the opsin protein), where higher proportions of A₂ cause a more red-shifted wavelength absorbance. This study explores the variation in chromophore ratios across multiple cichlid populations in Lake Victoria, using as a proxy the expression of the gene Cyp27c1, which has been shown to regulate the conversion of vitamin A₁ into vitamin A₂ in several vertebrates. This study focuses on sympatric Pundamilia cichlids, where species with blue or red male coloration co-occur at multiple islands but occupy different depths and consequently different visual habitats. In the red species, we found higher cyp27c1 expression in populations from turbid waters than from clear waters, but there was no such pattern in the blue species. Across populations, differences between the sympatric species in cyp27c1 expression had a consistent relationship with species differences in opsin expression patterns, but the red/blue identity reversed between clear and turbid waters. To assess the contribution of heritable vs. environmental causes of variation, we tested whether light manipulations induce a change in cyp27c1 expression in the laboratory. We found that cyp27c1 expression was not influenced by experimental light conditions, suggesting that the observed variation in the wild is due to genetic differences. Nonetheless, compared to other cichlid species, cyp27c1 is expressed at very low levels in Pundamilia, suggesting that it may not be relevant for visual adaptation in this species. Conclusively, establishing the biological importance of this variation requires testing of actual A₁ /A₂ ratios in the eye, as well as its consequences for visual performance.

Deep structure, long-distance migration and admixture in the colour polymorphic land snail Cepaea nemoralis

Although snails of the genus Cepaea have historically been important in studying colour polymorphism, an ongoing issue is that there is a lack of knowledge of the underlying genetics of the polymorphism, as well as an absence of genomic data to put findings in context. We, therefore, used phylogenomic methods to begin to investigate the post‐glacial history of Cepaea nemoralis, with a long‐term aim to understand the roles that selection and drift have in determining both European‐wide and local patterns of colour polymorphism. By combining prior and new mitochondrial DNA data from over 1500 individuals with ddRAD genomic data from representative individuals across Europe, we show that patterns of differentiation are primarily due to multiple deeply diverged populations of snails. Minimally, there is a widespread Central European population and additional diverged groups in Northern Spain, the Pyrenees, as well as likely Italy and South Eastern Europe. The genomic analysis showed that the present‐day snails in Ireland and possibly some other locations are likely descendants of admixture between snails from the Pyrenees and the Central European group, an observation that is consistent with prior inferences from mitochondrial DNA alone. The interpretation is that C. nemoralis may have arrived in Ireland via long‐distance migration from the Pyrenean region, subsequently admixing with arrivals from elsewhere. This work, therefore, provides a baseline expectation for future studies on the genetics of the colour polymorphism, as well as providing a comparator for similar species.

Concordant patterns of morphological, stable isotope, and genetic variation in a recent ecological radiation (Salmonidae: Coregonus spp.)

Groups of sympatric taxa with low inter-specific genetic differentiation, but considerable ecological differences, offer great opportunities to study the dynamics of divergence and speciation. This is the case of ciscoes (Coregonus spp.) in the Laurentian Great Lakes, which are characterized by a complex evolutionary history and are commonly described as having undergone an adaptive radiation. In this study, morphometrics, stable isotopes and transcriptome sequencing were used to study the relationships within the Coregonus artedi complex in western Lake Superior. We observed general concordance for morphological, ecological and genomic variation, but the latter was more taxonomically informative as it showed less overlap among species in multivariate space. Low levels of genetic differentiation were observed between individuals morphologically identified as C. hoyi and C. zenithicus, which could be evidence of incomplete lineage sorting or recent hybridization between the two groups. Transcriptome-based single nucleotide polymorphisms exhibited significant divergence for genes associated with vision, development, metabolism and immunity among species that occupy different habitats. This study highlights the importance of using an integrative approach when studying groups of taxa with a complex evolutionary history, as individual-level analyses of multiple independent datasets can provide a clearer picture of the patterns and processes associated with the origins of biodiversity.

Genomic changes underlying repeated niche shifts in an adaptive radiation

In adaptive radiations, single lineages rapidly diversify by adapting to many new niches. Little is known yet about the genomic mechanisms involved, that is, the source of genetic variation or genomic architecture facilitating or constraining adaptive radiation. Here, we investigate genomic changes associated with repeated invasion of many different freshwater niches by threespine stickleback in the Haida Gwaii archipelago, Canada, by resequencing single genomes from one marine and 28 freshwater populations. We find 89 likely targets of parallel selection in the genome that are enriched for old standing genetic variation. In contrast to theoretical expectations, their genomic architecture is highly dispersed with little clustering. Candidate genes and genotype-environment correlations match the three major environmental axes predation regime, light environment, and ecosystem size. In a niche space with these three dimensions, we find that the more divergent a new niche from the ancestral marine habitat, the more loci show signatures of parallel selection. Our findings suggest that the genomic architecture of parallel adaptation in adaptive radiation depends on the steepness of ecological gradients and the dimensionality of the niche space.

Genetic architecture of adaptive radiation across two trophic levels

Evolution of trophic diversity is a hallmark of adaptive radiation. Yet, transitions between carnivory and herbivory are rare in young adaptive radiations. Haplochromine cichlid fish of the African Great Lakes are exceptional in this regard. Lake Victoria was colonized by an insectivorous generalist and in less than 20 000 years, several clades of specialized herbivores evolved. Carnivorous versus herbivorous lifestyles in cichlids require many different adaptations in functional morphology, physiology and behaviour. Ecological transitions in either direction thus require many traits to change in a concerted fashion, which could be facilitated if genomic regions underlying these traits were physically linked or pleiotropic. However, linkage/pleiotropy could also constrain evolvability. To investigate components of the genetic architecture of a suite of traits that distinguish invertivores from algae scrapers, we performed quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping using a second-generation hybrid cross. While we found indications of linkage/pleiotropy within trait complexes, QTLs for distinct traits were distributed across several unlinked genomic regions. Thus, a mixture of independently segregating variation and some pleiotropy may underpin the rapid trophic transitions. We argue that the emergence and maintenance of associations between the different genomic regions underpinning co-adapted traits that evolved and persist against some gene flow required reproductive isolation.

The genetics of adaptation in freshwater Eurasian shad (Alosa)

Studying the genetics of phenotypic convergence can yield important insights into adaptive evolution. Here, we conducted a comparative genomic study of four lineages (species and subspecies) of anadromous shad (Alosa) that have independently evolved life cycles entirely completed in freshwater. Three naturally diverged (A. fallax lacustris, A. f. killarnensis, and A. macedonica), and the fourth (A. alosa) was artificially landlocked during the last century. To conduct this analysis, we assembled and annotated a draft of the A. alosa genome and generated whole‐genome sequencing for 16 anadromous and freshwater populations of shad. Widespread evidence for parallel genetic changes in freshwater populations within lineages was found. In freshwater A. alosa, which have only been diverging for tens of generations, this shows that parallel adaptive evolution can rapidly occur. However, parallel genetic changes across lineages were comparatively rare. The degree of genetic parallelism was not strongly related to the number of shared polymorphisms between lineages, thus suggesting that other factors such as divergence among ancestral populations or environmental variation may influence genetic parallelism across these lineages. These overall patterns were exemplified by genetic differentiation involving a paralog of ATPase‐α1 that appears to be under selection in just two of the more distantly related lineages studied, A. f. lacustris and A. alosa. Our findings provide insights into the genetic architecture of adaptation and parallel evolution along a continuum of population divergence.

Molecular signatures of parallel adaptive divergence causing reproductive isolation and speciation across two genera

Parallel evolution of reproductive isolation (PERI) provides strong evidence for natural selection playing a fundamental role in the origin of species. However, PERI has been rarely demonstrated for well established species drawn from different genera. In particular, parallel molecular signatures for the same genes in response to similar habitat divergence in such different lineages is lacking. Here, based on whole-genome sequencing data, we first explore the speciation process in two sister species of Carpinus (Betulaceae) in response to divergence for temperature and soil-iron concentration in habitats they occupy in northern and southwestern China, respectively. We then determine whether parallel molecular mutations occur during speciation in this pair of species and also in another sister-species pair of the related genus, Ostryopsis, which occupy similarly divergent habitats in China. We show that gene flow occurred during the origin of both pairs of sister species since approximately 9.8 or approximately 2 million years ago, implying strong natural selection during divergence. Also, in both species pairs we detected concurrent positive selection in a gene (LHY) for flowering time and in two paralogous genes (FRO4 and FRO7) of a gene family known to be important for iron tolerance. These changes were in addition to changes in other major genes related to these two traits. The different alleles of these particular candidate genes possessed by the sister species of Carpinus were functionally tested and indicated likely to alter flowering time and iron tolerance as previously demonstrated in the pair of Ostryopsis sister species. Allelic changes in these genes may have effectively resulted in high levels of prezygotic reproductive isolation to evolve between sister species of each pair. Our results show that PERI can occur in different genera at different timescales and involve similar signatures of molecular evolution at genes or paralogues of the same gene family, causing reproductive isolation as a consequence of adaptation to similarly divergent habitats.

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PERI provides strong evidence for natural selection playing a fundamental role in the origin of species

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PERI is rarely demonstrated for well-established species drawn from different genera

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We detected PERI across two genera (Carpinus and Ostryopsis) in the family Betulaceae

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PERI can occur in different genera at different timescales and involve molecular signatures at similar pathways

Genomic variation from an extinct species is retained in the extant radiation following speciation reversal

Ecosystem degradation and biodiversity loss are major global challenges. When reproductive isolation between species is contingent on the interaction of intrinsic lineage traits with features of the environment, environmental change can weaken reproductive isolation and result in extinction through hybridization. By this process called speciation reversal, extinct species can leave traces in genomes of extant species through introgressive hybridization. Using historical and contemporary samples, we sequenced all four species of an Alpine whitefish radiation before and after anthropogenic lake eutrophication and the associated loss of one species through speciation reversal. Despite the extinction of this taxon, substantial fractions of its genome, including regions shaped by positive selection before eutrophication, persist within surviving species as a consequence of introgressive hybridization during eutrophication. Given the prevalence of environmental change, studying speciation reversal and its genomic consequences provides fundamental insights into evolutionary processes and informs biodiversity conservation.

Evolutionary and Ecological Drivers of Local Adaptation and Speciation in a North American Avian Species Complex

Throughout the speciation process, genomic divergence can be differentially impacted by selective pressures, as well as gene flow and genetic drift. Disentangling the effects of these evolutionary mechanisms remains challenging, especially for non-model organisms. Accounting for complex evolutionary histories and contemporary population structure often requires sufficient sample sizes, for which the expense of full genomes remains prohibitive. Here, we demonstrate the utility of partial-genome sequence data for range-wide samples to shed light into the divergence process of two closely related ducks, the Mexican duck (Anas diazi) and mallard (A. platyrhynchos). We determine the role of selective and neutral processes during speciation of Mexican ducks by integrating evolutionary and demographic modelling with genotype-environment and genotype-phenotype association testing. First, evolutionary models and demographic analyses support the hypothesis that Mexican ducks originally diverged ~300,000 years ago in a climate refugia arising during a glacial period in in a southwestern North America, and that subsequent environmental selective pressures played a key role in divergence. Mexican ducks then showed cyclical demographic patterns that likely reflected repeated range expansions and contractions, along with bouts of gene flow with mallards during glacial cycles. Finally, we provide evidence that sexual selection acted on several phenotypic traits as a co-evolutionary process, facilitating the development of reproductive barriers that initially arose due to strong ecological selection. More broadly, this work reveals that the genomic and phenotypic patterns observed across species complexes are the result of myriad factors that contribute in dynamic ways to the evolutionary trajectories of a lineage.

Prevalence and Adaptive Impact of Introgression

Alleles that introgress between species can influence the evolutionary and ecological fate of species exposed to novel environments. Hybrid offspring of different species are often unfit, and yet it has long been argued that introgression can be a potent force in evolution, especially in plants. Over the last two decades, genomic data have increasingly provided evidence that introgression is a critically important source of genetic variation and that this additional variation can be useful in adaptive evolution of both animals and plants. Here, we review factors that influence the probability that foreign genetic variants provide long-term benefits (so-called adaptive introgression) and discuss their potential benefits. We find that introgression plays an important role in adaptive evolution, particularly when a species is far from its fitness optimum, such as when they expand their range or are subject to changing environments.

Speciation dynamics and extent of parallel evolution along a lake-stream environmental contrast in African cichlid fishes

Understanding the dynamics of speciation is a central topic in evolutionary biology. Here, we investigated how morphological and genomic differentiation accumulated along the speciation continuum in the African cichlid fish Astatotilapia burtoni. While morphological differentiation was continuously distributed across different lake-stream population pairs, we found that there were two categories with respect to genomic differentiation, suggesting a “gray zone” of speciation at ~0.1% net nucleotide divergence. Genomic differentiation was increased in the presence of divergent selection and drift compared to drift alone. The quantification of phenotypic and genetic parallelism in four cichlid species occurring along a lake-stream environmental contrast revealed parallel and antiparallel components in rapid adaptive divergence, and morphological convergence in species replicates inhabiting the same environments. Furthermore, we show that the extent of parallelism was higher when ancestral populations were more similar. Our study highlights the complementary roles of divergent selection and drift on speciation and parallel evolution.

Pervasive admixture and the spread of a large-lipped form in a cichlid fish radiation

Adaptive radiations have proven important for understanding the mechanisms and processes underlying biological diversity. The convergence of form and function, as well as admixture and adaptive introgression, are common in adaptive radiations. However, distinguishing between these two scenarios remains a challenge for evolutionary research. The Midas cichlid species complex (Amphilophus spp.) is a prime example of adaptive radiation, with phenotypic diversification occurring at various stages of genetic differentiation. One species, A. labiatus, has large fleshy lips, is associated with rocky lake substrates, and occurs patchily within Lakes Nicaragua and Managua. By contrast, the similar, but thin-lipped, congener, A. citrinellus, is more common and widespread. We investigated the evolutionary history of the large-lipped form, specifically regarding whether the trait has evolved independently in both lakes from ancestral thin-lipped populations, or via dispersal and/or admixture events. We collected samples from distinct locations in both lakes, and assessed differences in morphology and ecology. Using RAD-seq, we genotyped thousands of SNPs to measure population structure and divergence, demographic history, and admixture. We found significant between-species differences in ecology and morphology, local intraspecific differences in body shape and trophic traits, but only limited intraspecific variation in lip shape. Despite clear ecological differences, our genomic approach uncovered pervasive admixture between the species and low genomic differentiation, with species within lakes being genetically more similar than species between lakes. Taken together, our results suggest a single origin of large-lips, followed by pervasive admixture and adaptive introgression, with morphology being driven by local ecological opportunities, despite ongoing gene-flow.

Sequential colonization of oceanic archipelagos led to a species-level radiation in the common chaffinch complex (Aves: Fringilla coelebs)

Oceanic archipelagos are excellent systems for studying speciation, yet inference of evolutionary process requires that the colonization history of island organisms be known with accuracy. Here, we used phylogenomics and patterns of genetic diversity to infer the sequence and timing of colonization of Macaronesia by mainland common chaffinches (Fringilla coelebs), and assessed whether colonization of the different archipelagos has resulted in a species-level radiation. To reconstruct the evolutionary history of the complex we generated a molecular phylogeny based on genome-wide SNP loci obtained from genotyping-by-sequencing, we ran ancestral range biogeographic analyses, and assessed fine-scale genetic structure between and within archipelagos using admixture analysis. To test for a species-level radiation, we applied a probabilistic tree-based species delimitation method (mPTP) and an integrative taxonomy approach including phenotypic differences. Results revealed a circuitous colonization pathway in Macaronesia, from the mainland to the Azores, followed by Madeira, and finally the Canary Islands. The Azores showed surprisingly high genetic diversity, similar to that found on the mainland, and the other archipelagos showed the expected sequential loss of genetic diversity. Species delimitation methods supported the existence of several species within the complex. We conclude that the common chaffinch underwent a rapid radiation across Macaronesia that was driven by the sequential colonization of the different archipelagos, resulting in phenotypically and genetically distinct, independent evolutionary lineages. We recommend a taxonomic revision of the complex that takes into account its genetic and phenotypic diversity.

Predicting future from past: The genomic basis of recurrent and rapid stickleback evolution

Similar forms often evolve repeatedly in nature, raising long-standing questions about the underlying mechanisms. Here, we use repeated evolution in stickleback to identify a large set of genomic loci that change recurrently during colonization of freshwater habitats by marine fish. The same loci used repeatedly in extant populations also show rapid allele frequency changes when new freshwater populations are experimentally established from marine ancestors. Marked genotypic and phenotypic changes arise within 5 years, facilitated by standing genetic variation and linkage between adaptive regions. Both the speed and location of changes can be predicted using empirical observations of recurrence in natural populations or fundamental genomic features like allelic age, recombination rates, density of divergent loci, and overlap with mapped traits. A composite model trained on these stickleback features can also predict the location of key evolutionary loci in Darwin's finches, suggesting that similar features are important for evolution across diverse taxa.

Rapid speciation via the evolution of pre-mating isolation in the Iberá Seedeater

Behavioral isolation can catalyze speciation and permit the slow accumulation of additional reproductive barriers between co-occurring organisms. We illustrate how this process occurs by examining the genomic and behavioral bases of pre-mating isolation between two bird species (Sporophila hypoxantha and the recently discovered S. iberaensis) that belong to the southern capuchino seedeaters, a recent, rapid radiation characterized by variation in male plumage coloration and song. Although these two species co-occur without obvious ecological barriers to reproduction, we document behaviors indicating species recognition by song and plumage traits and strong assortative mating associated with genomic regions underlying male plumage patterning. Plumage differentiation likely originated through the reassembly of standing genetic variation, indicating how novel sexual signals may quickly arise and maintain species boundaries.

Genomic Signatures for Species-Specific Adaptation in Lake Victoria Cichlids Derived from Large-Scale Standing Genetic Variation

The cichlids of Lake Victoria are a textbook example of adaptive radiation, as >500 endemic species arose in just 14,600 years. The degree of genetic differentiation among species is very low due to the short period of time after the radiation, which allows us to ascertain highly differentiated genes that are strong candidates for driving speciation and adaptation. Previous studies have revealed the critical contribution of vision to speciation by showing the existence of highly differentiated alleles in the visual opsin gene among species with different habitat depths. In contrast, the processes of species-specific adaptation to different ecological backgrounds remain to be investigated. Here, we used genome-wide comparative analyses of three species of Lake Victoria cichlids that inhabit different environments-Haplochromis chilotes, H. sauvagei, and Lithochromis rufus-to elucidate the processes of adaptation by estimating population history and by searching for candidate genes that contribute to adaptation. The patterns of changes in population size were quite distinct among the species according to their habitats. We identified many novel adaptive candidate genes, some of which had surprisingly long divergent haplotypes between species, thus showing the footprint of selective sweep events. Molecular phylogenetic analyses revealed that a large fraction of the allelic diversity among Lake Victoria cichlids was derived from standing genetic variation that originated before the adaptive radiation. Our analyses uncovered the processes of species-specific adaptation of Lake Victoria cichlids and the complexity of the genomic substrate that facilitated this adaptation.

Intercontinental genomic parallelism in multiple three-spined stickleback adaptive radiations

Parallelism, the evolution of similar traits in populations diversifying in similar conditions, provides strong evidence of adaptation by natural selection. Many studies of parallelism focus on comparisons of different ecotypes or contrasting environments, defined a priori, which could upwardly bias the apparent prevalence of parallelism. Here, we estimated genomic parallelism associated with components of environmental and phenotypic variation at an intercontinental scale across four freshwater adaptive radiations (Alaska, British Columbia, Iceland and Scotland) of the three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus). We combined large-scale biological sampling and phenotyping with restriction site associated DNA sequencing (RAD-Seq) data from 73 freshwater lake populations and four marine ones (1,380 fish) to associate genome-wide allele frequencies with continuous distributions of environmental and phenotypic variation. Our three main findings demonstrate that (1) quantitative variation in phenotypes and environments can predict genomic parallelism; (2) genomic parallelism at the early stages of adaptive radiations, even at large geographic scales, is founded on standing variation; and (3) similar environments are a better predictor of genome-wide parallelism than similar phenotypes. Overall, this study validates the importance and predictive power of major phenotypic and environmental factors likely to influence the emergence of common patterns of genomic divergence, providing a clearer picture than analyses of dichotomous phenotypes and environments.

Ancient and recent introgression shape the evolutionary history of pollinator adaptation and speciation in a model monkeyflower radiation (Mimulus section Erythranthe)

Inferences about past processes of adaptation and speciation require a gene-scale and genome-wide understanding of the evolutionary history of diverging taxa. In this study, we use genome-wide capture of nuclear gene sequences, plus skimming of organellar sequences, to investigate the phylogenomics of monkeyflowers in Mimulus section Erythranthe (27 accessions from seven species). Taxa within Erythranthe, particularly the parapatric and putatively sister species M. lewisii (bee-pollinated) and M. cardinalis (hummingbird-pollinated), have been a model system for investigating the ecological genetics of speciation and adaptation for over five decades. Across >8000 nuclear loci, multiple methods resolve a predominant species tree in which M. cardinalis groups with other hummingbird-pollinated taxa (37% of gene trees), rather than being sister to M. lewisii (32% of gene trees). We independently corroborate a single evolution of hummingbird pollination syndrome in Erythranthe by demonstrating functional redundancy in genetic complementation tests of floral traits in hybrids; together, these analyses overturn a textbook case of pollination-syndrome convergence. Strong asymmetries in allele sharing (Patterson's D-statistic and related tests) indicate that gene tree discordance reflects ancient and recent introgression rather than incomplete lineage sorting. Consistent with abundant introgression blurring the history of divergence, low-recombination and adaptation-associated regions support the new species tree, while high-recombination regions generate phylogenetic evidence for sister status for M. lewisii and M. cardinalis. Population-level sampling of core taxa also revealed two instances of chloroplast capture, with Sierran M. lewisii and Southern Californian M. parishii each carrying organelle genomes nested within respective sympatric M. cardinalis clades. A recent organellar transfer from M. cardinalis, an outcrosser where selfish cytonuclear dynamics are more likely, may account for the unexpected cytoplasmic male sterility effects of selfer M. parishii organelles in hybrids with M. lewisii. Overall, our phylogenomic results reveal extensive reticulation throughout the evolutionary history of a classic monkeyflower radiation, suggesting that natural selection (re-)assembles and maintains species-diagnostic traits and barriers in the face of gene flow. Our findings further underline the challenges, even in reproductively isolated species, in distinguishing re-use of adaptive alleles from true convergence and emphasize the value of a phylogenomic framework for reconstructing the evolutionary genetics of adaptation and speciation.

Recent diversification in the high Andes: unveiling the evolutionary history of the Ecuadorian hillstar,Oreotrochilus chimborazo(Apodiformes: Trochilidae)

Studying the genetic signatures of evolutionary diversification in young lineages is among the most promising approaches for unveiling the processes behind speciation. Here, we focus on Oreotrochilus chimborazo, a high Andean species of hummingbird that might have experienced rapid diversification in the recent past. To understand the evolution of this species, we generated a dataset of ten microsatellite markers and complementary data on morphometrics, plumage variation and ecological niches. We applied a series of population and coalescent-based analyses to understand the population structure and differentiation within the species, in addition to the signatures of current and historical gene flow, the location of potential contact zones and the relationships among lineages. We found that O. chimborazo comprises three genetic groups: one corresponding to subspecies O. c. chimborazo, from Chimborazo volcano and surroundings, and two corresponding to the northern and southern ranges of subspecies O. c. jamesonii, found from the extreme south of Colombia to southern Ecuador. We inferred modest levels of both contemporary and historical gene flow and proposed the location of a contact zone between lineages. Also, our coalescent-based analyses supported a rapid split among these three lineages during the mid-to-late Holocene. We discuss our results in the light of past and present potential distributions of the species, in addition to evolutionary trends seen in other Andean hummingbirds.

Parallel evolution of direct development in frogs - Skin and thyroid gland development in African Squeaker Frogs (Anura: Arthroleptidae: Arthroleptis)

BACKGROUND

Cases of parallel evolution offer the possibility to identify adaptive traits and to uncover developmental constraints on the evolutionary trajectories of these traits. The independent evolution of direct development from the ancestral biphasic life history in frogs is such a case of parallel evolution. In frogs, aquatic larvae (tadpoles) differ profoundly from their adult forms and exhibit a stunning diversity regarding their habitats, morphology and feeding behaviors. The transition from the tadpole to the adult is a climactic, thyroid hormone (TH)-dependent process of profound and fast morphological rearrangement called metamorphosis. One of the organ systems that experiences the most comprehensive metamorphic rearrangements is the skin. Direct-developing frogs lack a free-swimming tadpole and hatch from terrestrial eggs as fully formed froglets. In the few species examined, development is characterized by the condensed and transient formation of some tadpole-specific features and the early formation of adult-specific features during a "cryptic" metamorphosis.

RESULTS

We show that skin in direct-developing African squeaker frogs (Arthroleptis) is also repatterned from a tadpole-like to an adult-like histology during a cryptic metamorphosis. This repatterning correlates with histological thyroid gland maturation. A comparison with data from the Puerto Rican coqui (Eleutherodactylus coqui) reveals that the evolution of direct development in these frogs is associated with a comparable heterochronic shift of thyroid gland maturation.

CONCLUSION

This suggests that the development of many adult features is still dependent on, and possibly constrained by, the ancestral dependency on thyroid hormone signaling.

Ontogenetic divergence generates novel phenotypes in hybrid cichlids

Hybridization is suggested to contribute to ecomorphological and taxonomic diversity in lacustrine East African cichlids. This is supported by studies demonstrating that genetic diversity within lake radiations has been influenced by hybridization events, leading to extensive phenotypic differentiation of genetically closely related species. Hybrid persistence and speciation in sympatry with gene flow can be explained by pleiotropy in traits involved in reproductive isolation; however, little attention has been given to how trait differentiation is established during hybrid ontogeny, and how this may relate to trophic and locomotor specialization. This study compares body shape changes in a Lake Victoria cichlid hybrid throughout its post-hatch ontogeny to those of its parental species. Across the considered age/size categories, hybrids occupy a distinct and intermediate morphological space, yet where several transgressive traits emerge. A between-group principal component analysis on body shapes across size categories reveals axes of shape variation exclusive to the hybrids in the youngest/smallest size categories. Shape differences in the hybrids involved morphological traits known to be implicated in trophic and locomotor specializations in the parental species. Combined, our findings suggest that phenotypic divergence in the hybrid can lead to functional differences that may potentially release them to some degree from competition with the parental species. These findings agree with recent literature that addresses the potential importance of hybridization for the unusually recent origin of the Lake Victoria cichlid super-species flock.

Genomics Reveals Widespread Ecological Speciation in Flightless Insects

Recent genomic analyses have highlighted parallel divergence in response to ecological gradients, but the extent to which altitude can underpin such repeated speciation remains unclear. Wing reduction and flight loss have apparently evolved repeatedly in montane insect assemblages and have been suggested as important drivers of hexapod diversification. We test this hypothesis using genomic analyses of a widespread wing-polymorphic stonefly species complex in New Zealand. We identified over 50,000 polymorphic genetic markers generated across almost 200 Zelandoperla fenestrata stonefly specimens using a newly generated plecopteran reference genome, to reveal widespread parallel speciation between sympatric full-winged and wing-reduced ecotypes. Rather than the existence of a single, widespread, flightless taxon (Zelandoperla pennulata), evolutionary genomic data reveal that wing-reduced upland lineages have speciated repeatedly and independently from full-winged Z. fenestrata. This repeated evolution of reproductive isolation between local ecotype pairs that lack mitochondrial DNA differentiation suggests that ecological speciation has evolved recently. A cluster of outlier single-nucleotide polymorphisms detected in independently wing-reduced lineages, tightly linked in an approximately 85 kb genomic region that includes the developmental “supergene” doublesex, suggests that this “island of divergence” may play a key role in rapid ecological speciation. [Ecological speciation; genome assembly; genomic island of differentiation; genotyping-by-sequencing; incipient species; plecoptera; wing reduction.]

Genetic Variation and Hybridization in Evolutionary Radiations of Cichlid Fishes

Evolutionary radiations are responsible for much of the variation in biodiversity across taxa. Cichlid fishes are well known for spectacular evolutionary radiations, as they have repeatedly evolved into large and phenotypically diverse arrays of species. Cichlid genomes carry signatures of past events and, at the same time, are the substrate for ongoing evolution. We survey genome-wide data and the available literature covering 438 cichlid populations (412 species) across multiple radiations to synthesize information about patterns and sharing of genetic variation. Nucleotide diversity within species is low in cichlids, with 92% of surveyed populations having less diversity than the median value found in other vertebrates. Divergence within radiations is also low, and a large proportion of variation is shared among species due to incomplete lineage sorting and widespread hybridization. Population genetics therefore provides a suitable conceptual framework for evolutionary genomic studies of cichlid radiations. We focus in detail on the roles of hybridization in shaping the patterns of genetic variation and in promoting cichlid diversification.

Patterns of ectoparasite infection in wild-caught and laboratory-bred cichlid fish, and their hybrids, implicate extrinsic rather than intrinsic causes of species differences in infection

Parasite-mediated selection may initiate or enhance differentiation between host populations that are exposed to different parasite infections. Variation in infection among populations may result from differences in host ecology (thereby exposure to certain parasites) and/or intrinsic immunological traits. Species of cichlid fish, even when recently diverged, often differ in parasite infection, but the contributions of intrinsic and extrinsic causes are unknown. Here, we compare infection patterns between two closely related host species from Lake Victoria (genus Pundamilia), using wild-caught and first-generation laboratory-reared fish, as well as laboratory-reared hybrids. Three of the commonest ectoparasite species observed in the wild were also present in the laboratory populations. However, the infection differences between the host species as observed in the wild were not maintained in laboratory conditions. In addition, hybrids did not differ in infection from either parental species. These findings suggest that the observed species differences in infection in the wild might be mainly driven by ecology-related effects (i.e. differential exposure), rather than by intrinsic species differences in immunological traits. Thus, while there is scope for parasite-mediated selection in Pundamilia in the wild, it has apparently not yet generated divergent evolutionary responses and may not enhance assortative mating among closely related species.

Evolution of putative barrier loci at an intermediate stage of speciation with gene flow in campions (Silene)

Understanding the origin of new species is a central goal in evolutionary biology. Diverging lineages often evolve highly heterogeneous patterns of genetic differentiation; however, the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. We investigated evolutionary processes governing genetic differentiation between the hybridizing campions Silene dioica (L.) Clairv. and S. latifolia Poiret. Demographic modelling indicated that the two species diverged with gene flow. The best‐supported scenario with heterogeneity in both migration rate and effective population size suggested that a small proportion of the loci evolved without gene flow. Differentiation (F_ST) and sequence divergence (d_XY) were correlated and both tended to peak in the middle of most linkage groups, consistent with reduced gene flow at highly differentiated loci. Highly differentiated loci further exhibited signatures of selection. In between‐species population pairs, isolation by distance was stronger for genomic regions with low between‐species differentiation than for highly differentiated regions that may contain barrier loci. Moreover, differentiation landscapes within and between species were only weakly correlated, suggesting that linked selection due to shared recombination and gene density landscapes is not the dominant determinant of genetic differentiation in these lineages. Instead, our results suggest that divergent selection shaped the genomic landscape of differentiation between the two Silene species, consistent with predictions for speciation in the face of gene flow.

Evolutionary dynamics of pre- and postzygotic reproductive isolation in cichlid fishes

Cichlid fishes are exceptionally species-rich, speciated at explosive rates and, hence, are a model system in speciation research. Yet, their reproductive isolating barriers have, so far, not been comprehensively studied. Here, we review current knowledge on pre- and postzygotic mechanisms in cichlids. While premating isolation is the norm in cichlids, its strength varies across lineages and with the geographical setting. Moreover, manipulations of ambient conditions tended to reduce assortative mating among closely related species, suggesting that premating isolation in cichlids is often fragile and context dependent. The observed lack of complete reproductive isolation is supported by past and present hybridization events that have contributed to diversity by creating novel allelic combinations. On the other hand, our meta-analysis highlights that intrinsic postzygotic isolation might accumulate faster than assumed. Mild forms of genetic incompatibilities, such as sex ratio distortion, can already be observed among closely related species. Therefore, cessation of gene flow by strong reproductive isolation in cichlids requires a combination of premating prezygotic isolation supplemented with intrinsic and extrinsic postzygotic barriers. Further, we suggest crucial next steps to improve our knowledge about reproductive barriers in cichlids to understand the evolutionary dynamics of pre- and postzygotic isolation mechanisms during adaptive radiations. This article is part of the theme issue 'Towards the completion of speciation: the evolution of reproductive isolation beyond the first barriers'.

Genome-wide patterns of divergence and introgression after secondary contact between Pungitius sticklebacks

Speciation is a continuous process. Although it is known that differential adaptation can initiate divergence even in the face of gene flow, we know relatively little about the mechanisms driving complete reproductive isolation and the genomic patterns of divergence and introgression at the later stages of speciation. Sticklebacks contain many pairs of sympatric species differing in levels of reproductive isolation and divergence history. Nevertheless, most previous studies have focused on young species pairs. Here, we investigated two sympatric stickleback species, Pungitius pungitius and P. sinensis, whose habitats overlap in eastern Hokkaido; these species show hybrid male sterility, suggesting that they may be at a late stage of speciation. Our demographic analysis using whole-genome sequence data showed that these species split 1.73 Ma and came into secondary contact 37 200 years ago after a period of allopatry. This long period of allopatry might have promoted the evolution of intrinsic incompatibility. Although we detected on-going gene flow and signatures of introgression, overall genomic divergence was high, with considerable heterogeneity across the genome. The heterogeneity was significantly associated with variation in recombination rate. This sympatric pair provides new avenues to investigate the late stages of the stickleback speciation continuum. This article is part of the theme issue 'Towards the completion of speciation: the evolution of reproductive isolation beyond the first barriers'.

Distinct Patterns of Selective Sweep and Polygenic Adaptation in Evolve and Resequence Studies

In molecular population genetics, adaptation is typically thought to occur via selective sweeps, where targets of selection have independent effects on the phenotype and rise to fixation, whereas in quantitative genetics, many loci contribute to the phenotype and subtle frequency changes occur at many loci during polygenic adaptation. The sweep model makes specific predictions about frequency changes of beneficial alleles and many test statistics have been developed to detect such selection signatures. Despite polygenic adaptation is probably the prevalent mode of adaptation, because of the traditional focus on the phenotype, we are lacking a solid understanding of the similarities and differences of selection signatures under the two models. Recent theoretical and empirical studies have shown that both selective sweep and polygenic adaptation models could result in a sweep-like genomic signature; therefore, additional criteria are needed to distinguish the two models. With replicated populations and time series data, experimental evolution studies have the potential to identify the underlying model of adaptation. Using the framework of experimental evolution, we performed computer simulations to study the pattern of selected alleles for two models: 1) adaptation of a trait via independent beneficial mutations that are conditioned for fixation, that is, selective sweep model and 2) trait optimum model (polygenic adaptation), that is adaptation of a quantitative trait under stabilizing selection after a sudden shift in trait optimum. We identify several distinct patterns of selective sweep and trait optimum models in populations of different sizes. These features could provide the foundation for development of quantitative approaches to differentiate the two models.

Genetic architecture of a key reproductive isolation trait differs between sympatric and non-sympatric sister species of Lake Victoria cichlids

One hallmark of the East African cichlid radiations is the rapid evolution of reproductive isolation that is robust to full sympatry of many closely related species. Theory predicts that species persistence and speciation in sympatry with gene flow are facilitated if loci of large effect or physical linkage (or pleiotropy) underlie traits involved in reproductive isolation. Here, we investigate the genetic architecture of a key trait involved in behavioural isolation, male nuptial coloration, by crossing two sister species pairs of Lake Victoria cichlids of the genus Pundamilia and mapping nuptial coloration in the F2 hybrids. One is a young sympatric species pair, representative of an axis of colour motif differentiation, red-dorsum versus blue, that is highly recurrent in closely related sympatric species. The other is a species pair representative of colour motifs, red-chest versus blue, that are common in allopatric but uncommon in sympatric closely related species. We find significant quantitative trait loci (QTLs) with moderate to large effects (some overlapping) for red and yellow in the sympatric red-dorsum × blue cross, whereas we find no significant QTLs in the non-sympatric red-chest × blue cross. These findings are consistent with theory predicting that large effect loci or linkage/pleiotropy underlying mating trait differentiation could facilitate speciation and species persistence with gene flow in sympatry.

Genomic Resources for Darters (Percidae: Etheostominae) Provide Insight into Postzygotic Barriers Implicated in Speciation

Comparative genomic approaches are increasingly being used to study the evolution of reproductive barriers in nonmodel species. Although numerous studies have examined prezygotic isolation in darters (Percidae), investigations into postzygotic barriers have remained rare due to long generation times and a lack of genomic resources. Orangethroat and rainbow darters naturally hybridize and provide a remarkable example of male-driven speciation via character displacement. Backcross hybrids suffer from high mortality, which appears to promote behavioral isolation in sympatry. To investigate the genomic architecture of postzygotic isolation, we used Illumina and PacBio sequencing to generate a chromosome-level, annotated assembly of the orangethroat darter genome and high-density linkage maps for orangethroat and rainbow darters. We also analyzed genome-wide RADseq data from wild-caught adults of both species and laboratory-generated backcrosses to identify genomic regions associated with hybrid incompatibles. Several putative chromosomal translocations and inversions were observed between orangethroat and rainbow darters, suggesting structural rearrangements may underlie postzygotic isolation. We also found evidence of selection against recombinant haplotypes and transmission ratio distortion in backcross hybrid genomes, providing further insight into the genomic architecture of genetic incompatibilities. Notably, regions with high levels of genetic divergence between species were enriched for genes associated with developmental and meiotic processes, providing strong candidates for postzygotic isolating barriers. These findings mark significant contributions to our understanding of the genetic basis of reproductive isolation between species undergoing character displacement. Furthermore, the genomic resources presented here will be instrumental for studying speciation in darters, the most diverse vertebrate group in North America.

Distinct patterns of hybridization across a suture zone in a coral reef fish (Dascyllus trimaculatus)

Hybrid zones are natural laboratories for investigating the dynamics of gene flow, reproductive isolation, and speciation. A predominant marine hybrid (or suture) zone encompasses Christmas Island (CHR) and Cocos (Keeling) Islands (CKE), where 15 different instances of interbreeding between closely related species from Indian and Pacific Oceans have been documented. Here, we report a case of hybridization between genetically differentiated Pacific and Indian Ocean lineages of the three-spot dascyllus, Dascyllus trimaculatus (Rüppell, 1829). Field observations indicate there are subtle color differences between Pacific and Indian Ocean lineages. Most importantly, population densities of color morphs and genetic analyses (mitochondrial DNA and SNPs obtained via RADSeq) suggest that the pattern of hybridization within the suture zone is not homogeneous. At CHR, both color morphs were present, mitochondrial haplotypes of both lineages were observed, and SNP analyses revealed both pure and hybrid genotypes. Meanwhile, in CKE, the Indian Ocean color morphs were prevalent, only Indian Ocean mitochondrial haplotypes were observed, and SNP analysis showed hybrid individuals with a large proportion (~80%) of their genotypes assigning to the Indian Ocean lineage. We conclude that CHR populations are currently receiving an influx of individuals from both ocean basins, with a greater influence from the Pacific Ocean. In contrast, geographically isolated CKE populations appear to be self-recruiting and with more influx of individuals from the Indian Ocean. Our research highlights how patterns of hybridization can be different at scales of hundreds of kilometers, due to geographic isolation and the history of interbreeding between lineages.