Genomic analyses suggest parallel ecological divergence in Heliosperma pusillum (Caryophyllaceae).

ABSTRACT: The mosaic distribution of interbreeding taxa with contrasting ecology and morphology offers an opportunity to study microevolutionary dynamics during ecological divergence. We investigate here the evolutionary history of an alpine and a montane ecotype of Heliosperma pusillum (Caryophyllaceae) in the south-eastern Alps. From six pairs of geographically close populations of the two ecotypes (120 individuals) we obtained a high-coverage restriction site associated DNA sequencing (RADseq) dataset that was used for demographic inference to test the hypothesis of parallel evolution of the two ecotypes. The data are consistent with repeated ecological divergence in H. pusillum, uncovering up to five polytopic origins of one ecotype from the other. A complex evolutionary history is evidenced, wi

SUBMITTER: Trucchi E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5601199 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature