Comparative Genomics Supports Ecologically Induced Selection as a Putative Driver of Banded Penguin Diversification.

ABSTRACT: The relative importance of genetic drift and local adaptation in facilitating speciation remains unclear. This is particularly true for seabirds, which can disperse over large geographic distances, providing opportunities for intermittent gene flow among distant colonies that span the temperature and salinity gradients of the oceans. Here, we delve into the genomic basis of adaptation and speciation of banded penguins, Galápagos (Spheniscus mendiculus), Humboldt (Spheniscus humboldti), Magellanic (Spheniscus magellanicus), and African penguins (Spheniscus demersus), by analyzing 114 genomes from the main 16 breeding colonies. We aim to identify the molecular mechanism and genomic adaptive traits that have facilitated their diversifications. Through positive selection and gene family expans

SUBMITTER: Leon F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11371425 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature