Strong phenotypic divergence in spite of low genetic structure in the endemic Mangrove Warbler subspecies (Setophaga petechia xanthotera) of Costa Rica.

ABSTRACT: Despite the enormous advances in genetics, links between phenotypes and genotypes have been made for only a few nonmodel organisms. However, such links can be essential to understand mechanisms of ecological speciation. The Costa Rican endemic Mangrove Warbler subspecies provides an excellent subject to study differentiation with gene flow, as it is distributed along a strong precipitation gradient on the Pacific coast with no strong geographic barriers to isolate populations. Mangrove Warbler populations could be subject to divergent selection driven by precipitation, which influences soil salinity levels, which in turn influences forest structure and food resources. We used single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and morphological traits to examine the balance between neutral genetic and

SUBMITTER: Chavarria-Pizarro T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6953683 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature