1. |
- Almén, Markus Sällman, et al.
(författare)
-
Adaptive radiation of Darwin's finches revisited using whole genome sequencing
- 2016
-
Ingår i: Bioessays. - : Wiley. - 0265-9247 .- 1521-1878. ; 38:1, s. 14-20
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We recently used genome sequencing to study the evolutionary history of the Darwin's finches. A prominent feature of our data was that different polymorphic sites in the genome tended to indicate different genetic relationships among these closely related species. Such patterns are expected in recently diverged genomes as a result of incomplete lineage sorting. However, we uncovered conclusive evidence that these patterns have also been influenced by interspecies hybridisation, a process that has likely played an important role in the radiation of Darwin's finches. A major discovery was that segregation of two haplotypes at the ALX1 locus underlies variation in beak shape among the Darwin's finches, and that differences between the two haplotypes in a 240 kb region in blunt and pointed beaked birds involve both coding and regulatory changes. As we review herein, the evolution of such adaptive haplotypes comprising multiple causal changes appears to be an important mechanism contributing to the evolution of biodiversity.
|
|
2. |
- Han, Fan, et al.
(författare)
-
Gene flow, ancient polymorphism, and ecological adaptation shape the genomic landscape of divergence among Darwin's finches
- 2017
-
Ingår i: Genome Research. - : Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. - 1088-9051 .- 1549-5469. ; 27:6, s. 1004-1015
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Genomic comparisons of closely related species have identified "islands" of locally elevated sequence divergence. Genomic islands may contain functional variants involved in local adaptation or reproductive isolation and may therefore play an important role in the speciation process. However, genomic islands can also arise through evolutionary processes unrelated to speciation, and examination of their properties can illuminate how new species evolve. Here, we performed scans for regions of high relative divergence (FST) in 12 species pairs of Darwin's finches at different genetic distances. In each pair, we identify genomic islands that are, on average, elevated in both relative divergence (FST) and absolute divergence (dXY). This signal indicates that haplotypes within these genomic regions became isolated from each other earlier than the rest of the genome. Interestingly, similar numbers of genomic islands of elevated dXY are observed in sympatric and allopatric species pairs, suggesting that recent gene flow is not a major factor in their formation. We find that two of the most pronounced genomic islands contain the ALX1 and HMGA2 loci, which are associated with variation in beak shape and size, respectively, suggesting that they are involved in ecological adaptation. A subset of genomic island regions, including these loci, appears to represent anciently diverged haplotypes that evolved early during the radiation of Darwin's finches. Comparative genomics data indicate that these loci, and genomic islands in general, have exceptionally low recombination rates, which may play a role in their establishment.
|
|
3. |
- Lamichhaney, Sangeet, 1984-, et al.
(författare)
-
A beak size locus in Darwin’s finches facilitated character displacement during a drought
- 2016
-
Ingår i: Science. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 0036-8075 .- 1095-9203. ; 352:6284, s. 470-474
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Ecological character displacement is a process of morphological divergence that reducescompetition for limited resources. We used genomic analysis to investigate the geneticbasis of a documented character displacement event in Darwin’s finches on Daphne Majorin the Galápagos Islands: The medium ground finch diverged from its competitor, the largeground finch, during a severe drought. We discovered a genomic region containing theHMGA2gene that varies systematically among Darwin’s finch species with different beaksizes. Two haplotypes that diverged early in the radiation were involved in the characterdisplacement event: Genotypes associated with large beak size were at a strong selectivedisadvantage in medium ground finches (selection coefficients= 0.59). Thus, a majorlocus has apparently facilitated a rapid ecological diversification in the adaptive radiationof Darwin’s finches.
|
|
4. |
- Lamichhaney, Sangeet, et al.
(författare)
-
Evolution of Darwin's finches and their beaks revealed by genome sequencing
- 2015
-
Ingår i: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 518:7539
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Darwin's finches, inhabiting the Galapagos archipelago and Cocos Island, constitute an iconic model for studies of speciation and adaptive evolution. Here we report the results of whole-genome re-sequencing of 120 individuals representing all of the Darwin's finch species and two close relatives' Phylogenetic analysis reveals important discrepancies with the phenotype-based taxonomy. We find extensive evidence for interspecific gene flow throughout the radiation. Hybridization has given rise to species of mixed ancestry. A 240 kilobase haplotype encompassing the ALX1 gene that encodes a transcription factor affecting craniofacial. development is strongly associated with beak shape diversity across Darwin's finch species as well as within the medium ground finch (Geospiza fortis) a species that has undergone rapid evolution of beak shape in response to environmental changes. The ALX1 haplotype has contributed to diversification of beak shapes among the Darwin's finches and thereby, to an expanded utilization of food resources.
|
|
5. |
- Lamichhaney, Sangeet, 1984-, et al.
(författare)
-
Rapid hybrid speciation in Darwin's finches
- 2018
-
Ingår i: Science. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 0036-8075 .- 1095-9203. ; 359:6372, s. 224-228
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Homoploid hybrid speciation in animals has been inferred frequently from patterns of variation, but few examples have withstood critical scrutiny. Here we report a directly documented example, from its origin to reproductive isolation. An immigrant Darwin's finch to Daphne Major in the Galápagos archipelago initiated a new genetic lineage by breeding with a resident finch (Geospiza fortis). Genome sequencing of the immigrant identified it as a G. conirostris male that originated on Española >100 kilometers from Daphne Major. From the second generation onward, the lineage bred endogamously and, despite intense inbreeding, was ecologically successful and showed transgressive segregation of bill morphology. This example shows that reproductive isolation, which typically develops over hundreds of generations, can be established in only three.
|
|
6. |
- Saether, Bernt-Erik, et al.
(författare)
-
Demographic routes to variability and regulation in bird populations
- 2016
-
Ingår i: Nature Communications. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2041-1723. ; 7
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- There is large interspecific variation in the magnitude of population fluctuations, even among closely related species. The factors generating this variation are not well understood, primarily because of the challenges of separating the relative impact of variation in population size from fluctuations in the environment. Here, we show using demographic data from 13 bird populations that magnitudes of fluctuations in population size are mainly driven by stochastic fluctuations in the environment. Regulation towards an equilibrium population size occurs through density-dependent mortality. At small population sizes, population dynamics are primarily driven by environment-driven variation in recruitment, whereas close to the carrying capacity K, variation in population growth is more strongly influenced by density-dependent mortality of both juveniles and adults. Our results provide evidence for the hypothesis proposed by Lack that population fluctuations in birds arise from temporal variation in the difference between density-independent recruitment and density-dependent mortality during the non-breeding season.
|
|