Ecological genomics in the Northern krill uncovers loci for local adaptation across ocean basins.

ABSTRACT: Krill are vital as food for many marine animals but also impacted by global warming. To learn how they and other zooplankton may adapt to a warmer world we studied local adaptation in the widespread Northern krill (Meganyctiphanes norvegica). We assemble and characterize its large genome and compare genome-scale variation among 74 specimens from the colder Atlantic Ocean and warmer Mediterranean Sea. The 19 Gb genome likely evolved through proliferation of retrotransposons, now targeted for inactivation by extensive DNA methylation, and contains many duplicated genes associated with molting and vision. Analysis of 760 million SNPs indicates extensive homogenizing gene-flow among populations. Nevertheless, we detect signatures of adaptive divergence across hundreds of genes, implicated in p

SUBMITTER: Unneberg P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11294593 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature