Genomic Footprints of Ancient Multi‐Species Introgression Events Among Allopatric Australo‐Papuan Butcherbird Species

Journal of Biogeography, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: April 11, 2025

ABSTRACT Aim Climate change has influenced the evolution of world's biota, shaping species distributions, promoting diversification and causing extinctions. The turbulent climatic oscillations Pleistocene, which caused repeated periods isolation secondary contact, have left lasting signatures on genomes across world. resultant reticulate histories are difficult to untangle, yet offer unique insights, capturing responses climate that would otherwise be undetected providing empirical case‐studies impact introgression tens thousands years later. Here, we explore such dynamics using three currently allopatric Australian butcherbirds. We specifically test long‐standing biogeographic hypotheses concerning role intermittent Pleistocene land‐bridges in facilitating contact. Location Australia New Guinea. Taxon Silver‐backed Butcherbird Cracticus argenteus , Black‐backed mentalis Grey torquatus (Passeriformes: Artamidae). Methods generated genomic data from museum specimens infer relationships, taxonomic boundaries elucidate history gene flow this complex. Results uncovered evidence multiple ancient introgressions into savannah‐adapted C. both more arid‐tolerant despite their current allopatry. This supports Arafura Shelf maintaining genetic connectivity between Guinea expansion aridity during glacial maxima range expansions species. Main Conclusions Our showcase how retained over generations can reveal unexpected insights about evolutionary history, as well expand our understanding guilds similarly adapted may responded concordantly paleoclimate change. These important implications for biodiversity conservation, increasing contact driven by might future.

Language: Английский

Repeated Mitochondrial Capture With Limited Genomic Introgression in a Lizard Group

Molecular Ecology, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: April 16, 2025

ABSTRACT Mitochondrial introgression is common among animals and often first identified through mitonuclear discordance—discrepancies between evolutionary relationships inferred from mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) nuclear (nuDNA). Over recent decades, genomic data have also revealed extensive in many animal groups, with implications for genetic phenotypic diversity. However, the extent to which mtDNA corresponds nuDNA varies. Here, we investigated historical Gehyra nana ‐occidentalis clade, a complex group of Australian geckos documented cases discordance suggestive repeated introgression. We hypothesised that this clade reflects substantial Despite evidence introgression, however, found little no using exon capture genome‐wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data. gene flow at modern contact zones detected only early generation hybrid. Unsurprisingly, given these results, transgressive, intermediate, or more variable morphological phenotypes taxa introgressed mtDNA. These findings suggest hybridisation system has, least some cases, resulted This pattern aligns other studies showing limited discordance, highlighting potentially broader trend radiations.

Language: Английский

Regional conservation genomics: insights and opportunities from northern Australia

Biodiversity and Conservation, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: April 27, 2025

Language: Английский