Evidence of Intraspecific Adaptive Variation in the American Pika (Ochotona princeps) on a Continental Scale Using a Target Enrichment and Mitochondrial Genome Skimming Approach.

ABSTRACT: Montane landscapes present an array of abiotic challenges that drive adaptive evolution amongst organisms. These adaptations can promote habitat specialisation, which may heighten the risk of extirpation from environmental change. For example, higher metabolic rates in an endothermic species may contribute to heightened cold tolerance, whilst simultaneously limiting heat tolerance. Here, using the climate-sensitive American pika (Ochotona princeps), we test for evidence of intraspecific adaptive variation amongst environmental gradients across the Intermountain West of North America. We leveraged results from previous studies on pika adaptation to generate a custom nuclear target enrichment design to sequence several hundred candidate genes related to cold, hypoxia and dietary detoxificati

SUBMITTER: Farrand ZM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12530291 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature