Strong but diffuse genetic divergence underlies differentiation in an incipient species of marine stickleback.

ABSTRACT: Understanding how lineages proceed along the "speciation continuum" and how species boundaries are maintained over time remain central questions in evolutionary biology. Populations early in the speciation process can give us detailed insight into the reproductive barriers that first initiate speciation. In this study, we explore the nature of genomic divergence between two sympatric marine stickleback ecotypes from Atlantic Canada, "whites" and "commons". Males of each ecotype exhibit distinct nuptial colorations, nesting habits, and parental care strategies. Using population genomic analyses of SNPs and copy number variants (CNVs; deletions and duplications) we show that whites and commons consistently form distinct populations. We uncover genomic differentiation in the white ecotype cha

SUBMITTER: Sumarli A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12458291 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature