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Kaminski M, Brown JI, Seibert SR, Hernández F, Duya MV, Fontanilla IKC, Roshier D, Miles A, Joseph L, Peters JL, Lavretsky P. Determining evolutionary origin and phylogenetic relationships of mallard-like ducks of Oceania, greater Indonesia, and the Philippines with ddRAD-seq data. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2024; 197:108085. [PMID: 38688441 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2024.108085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
AIM We aim to determine the evolutionary origins and population genetics of mallard-like ducks of Oceania, greater Indonesia, and the Philippines. LOCATION Oceania, greater Indonesia, and the Philippines. TAXON Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), Pacific black duck (A. superciliosa spp.), and Philippine duck (A. luzonica) METHODS: Thousands of nuclear ddRAD-seq loci and the mitochondrial DNA control region were assayed across individuals representative of each species' range. We assessed population structure and phylogenetic relationships, as well as estimated demographic histories to reconstruct the biogeographical history of each species. RESULTS Philippine and Pacific black ducks represent unique genetic lineages that diverged from the mallard 1-2 million years ago. We find no support for the Philippine duck representing a hybrid species as once posited; however, their low levels of genetic diversity requires further attention. We find a lack of substructure among Philippine ducks. However, we found pronounced differentiation between subspecies of Pacific black ducks, especially between A. s. superciliosa from New Zealand and A. s. rogersi from Australia, Papua New Guinea, and Timor-Leste, Indonesia. Anas superciliosa pelewensis gave mixed results; individuals from the Solomon Islands were differentiated from the other subspecies, but those from the island of Aunu'u, American Samoa, were genetically more similar to A. s. rogersi than A. s. pelewensis samples from the Solomon Islands. Finally, we find limited evidence of interspecific gene flow at evolutionary scales, and mallard introgression among contemporary samples. MAIN CONCLUSIONS Mallard-like ducks radiated across Oceania, greater Indonesia, and the Philippines within the last 2 million years. Only the Pacific black duck showed unique sub-structuring that largely followed known sub-species ranges, except for A. s. pelewensis. We posit that the high interrelatedness among Solomon Island samples suggests that their genetic distinctiveness may simply be the result of high levels of genetic drift. In contrast, we conclude that mainland Australian Pacific black ducks were the most likely source for the recent colonization of American Samoa. As a result, our findings suggest that either the A. s. pelewensis subspecies designations and/or its geographical range may require re-evaluation. Continued re-evaluation of evolutionary and taxonomic relationships is necessary when attempting to reconstruct and understand biogeographical histories, with important implications towards any attempts to implement conservation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marissa Kaminski
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA; Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, United States Geological Survey, La Crosse, WI, USA.
| | - Joshua I Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA; Department of Life, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, West Texas A&M University, Canyon, Texas, USA
| | - Sara R Seibert
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wright State University, Dayton, OH, USA
| | - Flor Hernández
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA
| | - Melizar V Duya
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA
| | - Ian Kendrich C Fontanilla
- Institute of Biology, College of Science, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
| | - David Roshier
- School of Animal and Veterinary Science, University of Adelaide, Roseworthy SA, Australia
| | - Adam Miles
- Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources, Pago Pago, 96799, American Samoa
| | - Leo Joseph
- Australian National Wildlife Collection, CSIRO National Research Collections Australia, Canberra, Australia
| | - Jeffrey L Peters
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wright State University, Dayton, OH, USA
| | - Philip Lavretsky
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA
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Lavretsky P, Kraai KJ, Butler D, Morel J, VonBank JA, Marty JR, Musni VM, Collins DP. Human-Induced Range Expansions Result in a Recent Hybrid Zone between Sister Species of Ducks. Genes (Basel) 2024; 15:651. [PMID: 38927587 PMCID: PMC11202560 DOI: 10.3390/genes15060651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2024] [Revised: 05/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Landscapes are consistently under pressure from human-induced ecological change, often resulting in shifting species distributions. For some species, changing the geographical breadth of their niche space results in matching range shifts to regions other than those in which they are formally found. In this study, we employ a population genomics approach to assess potential conservation issues arising from purported range expansions into the south Texas Brush Country of two sister species of ducks: mottled (Anas fulvigula) and Mexican (Anas diazi) ducks. Specifically, despite being non-migratory, both species are increasingly being recorded outside their formal ranges, with the northeastward and westward expansions of Mexican and mottled ducks, respectively, perhaps resulting in secondary contact today. We assessed genetic ancestry using thousands of autosomal loci across the ranges of both species, as well as sampled Mexican- and mottled-like ducks from across overlapping regions of south Texas. First, we confirm that both species are indeed expanding their ranges, with genetically pure Western Gulf Coast mottled ducks confirmed as far west as La Salle county, Texas, while Mexican ducks recorded across Texas counties near the USA-Mexico border. Importantly, the first confirmed Mexican × mottled duck hybrids were found in between these regions, which likely represents a recently established contact zone that is, on average, ~100 km wide. We posit that climate- and land use-associated changes, including coastal habitat degradation coupled with increases in artificial habitats in the interior regions of Texas, are facilitating these range expansions. Consequently, continued monitoring of this recent contact event can serve to understand species' responses in the Anthropocene, but it can also be used to revise operational survey areas for mottled ducks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip Lavretsky
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79668, USA;
| | - Kevin J. Kraai
- Waterfowl Program, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Canyon, TX 79015, USA;
| | - David Butler
- Central Coast Wetland Ecosystem Project, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Bay City, TX 77414, USA; (D.B.); (J.M.)
| | - James Morel
- Central Coast Wetland Ecosystem Project, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Bay City, TX 77414, USA; (D.B.); (J.M.)
| | - Jay A. VonBank
- Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Jamestown, ND 58401, USA;
| | - Joseph R. Marty
- Southwest Region—Texas Chenier Plain NWR Complex, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Anahuac, TX 77514, USA;
| | - Vergie M. Musni
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79668, USA;
| | - Daniel P. Collins
- Southwest Region—Migratory Bird Program, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Albuquerque, NM 87103, USA;
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Samake JN, Lavretsky P, Gunarathna I, Follis M, Brown JI, Ali S, Yared S, Carter TE. Population genomic analyses reveal population structure and major hubs of invasive Anopheles stephensi in the Horn of Africa. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:5695-5708. [PMID: 37795951 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
Anopheles stephensi invasion in the Horn of Africa (HoA) poses a substantial risk of increased malaria disease burden in the region. An understanding of the history of introduction(s), establishment(s) and potential A. stephensi sources in the HoA is needed to predict future expansions and establish where they may be effectively controlled. To this end, we take a landscape genomic approach to assess A. stephensi origins and spread throughout the HoA, information essential for vector control. Specifically, we assayed 2070 genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms across 214 samples spanning 13 populations of A. stephensi from Ethiopia and Somaliland collected in 2018 and 2020, respectively. Principal component and genetic ancestry analyses revealed clustering that followed an isolation-by-distance pattern, with genetic divergence among the Ethiopian samples significantly correlating with geographical distance. Additionally, genetic relatedness was observed between the northeastern and east central Ethiopian A. stephensi populations and the Somaliland A. stephensi populations. These results reveal population differentiation and genetic connectivity within HoA A. stephensi populations. Furthermore, based on genetic network analysis, we uncovered that Dire Dawa, the site of a spring 2022 malaria outbreak, was one of the major hubs from which sequential founder events occurred in the rest of the eastern Ethiopian region. These findings can be useful for the selection of sites for heightened control to prevent future malaria outbreaks. Finally, we did not detect significant genotype-environmental associations, potentially due to the recency of their colonization and/or other anthropogenic factors leading to the initial spread and establishment of A. stephensi. Our study highlights how coupling genomic data at landscape levels can shed light into even ongoing invasions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Philip Lavretsky
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas, USA
| | | | - Madison Follis
- Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA
| | - Joshua I Brown
- Department of Life, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, West Texas A&M University, Canyon, Texas, USA
| | - Said Ali
- Ministry of Health Somaliland, Hargeisa, Somalia
| | - Solomon Yared
- Department of Biology, Jigjiga University, Jigjiga, Ethiopia
| | - Tamar E Carter
- Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA
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Lavretsky P, Mohl JE, Söderquist P, Kraus RHS, Schummer ML, Brown JI. The meaning of wild: Genetic and adaptive consequences from large-scale releases of domestic mallards. Commun Biol 2023; 6:819. [PMID: 37543640 PMCID: PMC10404241 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05170-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The translocation of individuals around the world is leading to rising incidences of anthropogenic hybridization, particularly between domestic and wild congeners. We apply a landscape genomics approach for thousands of mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) samples across continental and island populations to determine the result of over a century of supplementation practices. We establish that a single domestic game-farm mallard breed is the source for contemporary release programs in Eurasia and North America, as well as for established feral populations in New Zealand and Hawaii. In particular, we identify central Europe and eastern North America as epicenters of ongoing anthropogenic hybridization, and conclude that the release of game-farm mallards continues to affect the genetic integrity of wild mallards. Conversely, self-sustaining feral populations in New Zealand and Hawaii not only show strong differentiation from their original stock, but also signatures of local adaptation occurring in less than a half-century since game-farm mallard releases have ceased. We conclude that 'wild' is not singular, and that even feral populations are capable of responding to natural processes. Although considered paradoxical to biological conservation, understanding the capacity for wildness among feral and feral admixed populations in human landscapes is critical as such interactions increase in the Anthropocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip Lavretsky
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, 79668, USA.
| | - Jonathon E Mohl
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, 79668, USA
| | - Pär Söderquist
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Kristianstad University, SE- 291 88, Kristianstad, Sweden
| | - Robert H S Kraus
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78315, Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Michael L Schummer
- Department of Environmental Biology, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY, 13210, USA
| | - Joshua I Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, 79668, USA
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Szynwelski BE, Kretschmer R, Matzenbacher CA, Ferrari F, Alievi MM, de Freitas TRO. Hybridization in Canids-A Case Study of Pampas Fox ( Lycalopex gymnocercus) and Domestic Dog ( Canis lupus familiaris) Hybrid. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2505. [PMID: 37570312 PMCID: PMC10417603 DOI: 10.3390/ani13152505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Hybridization between species with different evolutionary trajectories can be a powerful threat to wildlife conservation. Anthropogenic activities, such as agriculture and livestock, have led to the degradation and loss of natural habitats for wildlife. Consequently, the incidence of interspecific hybridization between wild and domestic species has increased, although cases involving species of different genera are rare. In Vacaria, a Southern city in Brazil, a female canid with a strange phenotype, which had characteristics between the phenotype of the domestic dog (Canis familiaris) and that of the pampas fox (Lycalopex gymnocercus), was found. Our analysis suggests that the animal is a hybrid between a domestic dog and a pampas fox, but future studies are necessary to investigate additional cases of this hybridization in nature. This finding worries for the conservation of wild canids in South America, especially concerning Lycalopex species. Hybridization with the domestic dog may have harmful effects on pampas fox populations due to the potential for introgression and disease transmission by the domestic dog. Therefore, future studies to explore the consequences of hybridization on genetics, ecology, and behavior of wild populations will be essential to improve the conservation of this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruna Elenara Szynwelski
- Laboratório de Citogenética e Evolução, Departamento de Genética, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 91509-900, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil; (B.E.S.); (C.A.M.); (T.R.O.d.F.)
| | - Rafael Kretschmer
- Departamento de Ecologia, Zoologia e Genética, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Campus Universitário Capão do Leão, Pelotas 96010-900, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Cristina Araujo Matzenbacher
- Laboratório de Citogenética e Evolução, Departamento de Genética, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 91509-900, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil; (B.E.S.); (C.A.M.); (T.R.O.d.F.)
| | - Flávia Ferrari
- Núcleo de Conservação e Reabilitação de Animais Silvestres, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 90540-000, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil; (F.F.); (M.M.A.)
| | - Marcelo Meller Alievi
- Núcleo de Conservação e Reabilitação de Animais Silvestres, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 90540-000, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil; (F.F.); (M.M.A.)
| | - Thales Renato Ochotorena de Freitas
- Laboratório de Citogenética e Evolução, Departamento de Genética, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 91509-900, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil; (B.E.S.); (C.A.M.); (T.R.O.d.F.)
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Schummer ML, Simpson J, Shirkey B, Kucia SR, Lavretsky P, Tozer DC. Population genetics and geographic origins of mallards harvested in northwestern Ohio. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0282874. [PMID: 36920978 PMCID: PMC10016643 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0282874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The genetic composition of mallards in eastern North America has been changed by release of domestically-raised, game-farm mallards to supplement wild populations for hunting. We sampled 296 hatch-year mallards harvested in northwestern Ohio, October-December 2019. The aim was to determine their genetic ancestry and geographic origin to understand the geographic extent of game-farm mallard introgression into wild populations in more westward regions of North America. We used molecular analysis to detect that 35% of samples were pure wild mallard, 12% were early generation hybrids between wild and game-farm mallards (i.e., F1-F3), and the remaining 53% of samples were assigned as part of a hybrid swarm. Percentage of individuals in our study with some form of hybridization with game-farm mallard (65%) was greater than previously detected farther south in the mid-continent (~4%), but less than the Atlantic coast of North America (~ 92%). Stable isotope analysis using δ2Hf suggested that pure wild mallards originated from areas farther north and west than hybrid mallards. More specifically, 17% of all Ohio samples had δ2Hf consistent with more western origins in the prairies, parkland, or boreal regions of the mid-continent of North America, with 55%, 35%, and 10% of these being genetically wild, hybrid swarm, and F3, respectively. We conclude that continued game-farm introgression into wild mallards is not isolated to the eastern population of mallards in North America, and may be increasing and more widespread than previously detected. Mallards in our study had greater incidence of game-farm hybridization than other locales in the mid-continent but less than eastern North American regions suggesting further need to understand game-farm mallard genetic variation and movement across the continent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael L. Schummer
- Department of Environmental Biology, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - John Simpson
- Winous Point Marsh Conservancy, Port Clinton, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Brendan Shirkey
- Winous Point Marsh Conservancy, Port Clinton, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Samuel R. Kucia
- Department of Environmental Biology, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, New York, United States of America
| | - Philip Lavretsky
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas, United States of America
| | - Douglas C. Tozer
- Long Point Waterfowl and Wetlands Research Program, Birds Canada, Port Rowan, Ontario, Canada
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Kim JY, Hwang JE, Eo SH, Kang SG, Moon JC, Kim JA, Park JY, An J, Yeo Y, Yoon J. Development of InDel markers for interspecific hybridization between hill pigeons and feral pigeons based on whole-genome re-sequencing. Sci Rep 2022; 12:22618. [PMID: 36585442 PMCID: PMC9803650 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-27147-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Interspecific hybridization occurs among birds, and closely related sister taxa tend to hybridize at a high rate. Genomic hybridization markers are useful for understanding the patterns and processes of hybridization and for conserving endangered species in captivity and the wild. In this study, we developed genomic hybridization markers for the F1 progeny of the sister taxa feral pigeons (Columba livia var. domestica) and endangered hill pigeons (Columba rupestris) (family Columbidae). Using whole-genome re-sequencing data, we performed genome-wide analysis for insertion/deletion (InDel) polymorphisms and validated using primers. We conducted polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and agarose gel electrophoresis to identify species-specific InDels. We produced eight F1 hybrids of hill and feral pigeons, and their samples were tested by re-performing analyses and sequencing using 11 species-specific InDel polymorphisms. Eight InDel markers simultaneously amplified two DNA fragments from all F1 hybrids, and there was no abnormality in the sequencing results. The application of genomic tools to detect hybrids can play a crucial role in the assessment of hybridization frequency in the wild. Moreover, systematic captive propagation efforts with hybrids can help control the population decline of hill pigeons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Yong Kim
- grid.496435.90000 0004 6015 2014Research Center for Endangered Species, National Institute of Ecology, Yeongyang, South Korea
| | - Jung Eun Hwang
- grid.496435.90000 0004 6015 2014Research Center for Endangered Species, National Institute of Ecology, Yeongyang, South Korea
| | - Soo Hyung Eo
- grid.411118.c0000 0004 0647 1065Department of Forest Science, Kongju National University, Yesan, Chungnam, South Korea
| | - Seung-Gu Kang
- grid.496435.90000 0004 6015 2014Research Center for Endangered Species, National Institute of Ecology, Yeongyang, South Korea
| | - Jeong Chan Moon
- grid.496435.90000 0004 6015 2014Research Center for Endangered Species, National Institute of Ecology, Yeongyang, South Korea
| | - Jung A Kim
- grid.419519.10000 0004 0400 5474National Institute of Biological Resources, Incheon, South Korea
| | - Jin-Young Park
- grid.419519.10000 0004 0400 5474National Institute of Biological Resources, Incheon, South Korea
| | - Junghwa An
- grid.419519.10000 0004 0400 5474National Institute of Biological Resources, Incheon, South Korea
| | - Yonggu Yeo
- Conservation and Health Center, Seoul Zoo, Gwacheon, South Korea
| | - Jongmin Yoon
- grid.496435.90000 0004 6015 2014Research Center for Endangered Species, National Institute of Ecology, Yeongyang, South Korea
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Stunz E, Fetcher N, Lavretsky P, Mohl JE, Tang J, Moody ML. Landscape Genomics Provides Evidence of Ecotypic Adaptation and a Barrier to Gene Flow at Treeline for the Arctic Foundation Species Eriophorum vaginatum. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:860439. [PMID: 35401613 PMCID: PMC8987161 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.860439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Global climate change has resulted in geographic range shifts of flora and fauna at a global scale. Extreme environments, like the Arctic, are seeing some of the most pronounced changes. This region covers 14% of the Earth's land area, and while many arctic species are widespread, understanding ecotypic variation at the genomic level will be important for elucidating how range shifts will affect ecological processes. Tussock cottongrass (Eriophorum vaginatum L.) is a foundation species of the moist acidic tundra, whose potential decline due to competition from shrubs may affect ecosystem stability in the Arctic. We used double-digest Restriction Site-Associated DNA sequencing to identify genomic variation in 273 individuals of E. vaginatum from 17 sites along a latitudinal gradient in north central Alaska. These sites have been part of 30 + years of ecological research and are inclusive of a region that was part of the Beringian refugium. The data analyses included genomic population structure, demographic models, and genotype by environment association. Genome-wide SNP investigation revealed environmentally associated variation and population structure across the sampled range of E. vaginatum, including a genetic break between populations north and south of treeline. This structure is likely the result of subrefugial isolation, contemporary isolation by resistance, and adaptation. Forty-five candidate loci were identified with genotype-environment association (GEA) analyses, with most identified genes related to abiotic stress. Our results support a hypothesis of limited gene flow based on spatial and environmental factors for E. vaginatum, which in combination with life history traits could limit range expansion of southern ecotypes northward as the tundra warms. This has implications for lower competitive attributes of northern plants of this foundation species likely resulting in changes in ecosystem productivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Stunz
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, United States
| | - Ned Fetcher
- Institute for Environmental Science and Sustainability, Wilkes University, Wilkes-Barre, PA, United States
| | - Philip Lavretsky
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, United States
| | - Jonathon E. Mohl
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Border Biomedical Research Center, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, United States
| | - Jianwu Tang
- Marine Biological Laboratory, The Ecosystems Center, Woods Hole, MA, United States
| | - Michael L. Moody
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, United States
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Brown JI, Harrigan RJ, Lavretsky P. Evolutionary and Ecological Drivers of Local Adaptation and Speciation in a North American Avian Species Complex. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:2578-2593. [PMID: 35263000 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua I Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, 79668, USA
| | - Ryan J Harrigan
- Center for Tropical Research, University of California, Los Angeles, La Kretz Hall, Suite 300, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, U.S.A
| | - Philip Lavretsky
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, 79668, USA
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