Genomic evidence for gene flow between monarchs with divergent migratory phenotypes and flight performance.

ABSTRACT: Monarch butterflies are known for their spectacular annual migration in eastern North America, with millions of monarchs flying up to 4,500 km to overwintering sites in central Mexico. Monarchs also live west of the Rocky Mountains, where they travel shorter distances to overwinter along the Pacific Coast. It is often assumed that eastern and western monarchs form distinct evolutionary units, but genomic studies to support this notion are lacking. We used a tethered flight mill to show that migratory eastern monarchs have greater flight performance than western monarchs, consistent with their greater migratory distances. However, analysing more than 20 million SNPs in 43 monarch genomes, we found no evidence for genomic differentiation between eastern and western monarchs. Genomic analysis

SUBMITTER: Talla V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8118118 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature