Divergence and hybridization in sea turtles: Inferences from genome data show evidence of ancient gene flow between species.

ABSTRACT: Reconstructing past events of hybridization and population size changes are required to understand speciation mechanisms and current patterns of genetic diversity, and ultimately contribute to species' conservation. Sea turtles are ancient species currently facing anthropogenic threats including climate change, fisheries, and illegal hunting. Five of the seven extant sea turtle species are known to currently hybridize, especially along the Brazilian coast where some populations can have ~32%-42% of hybrids. Although frequently observed today, it is not clear what role hybridization plays in the evolutionary diversification of this group of reptiles. In this study, we generated whole genome resequencing data of the five globally distributed sea turtle species to estimate a calibrated phylog

SUBMITTER: Vilaca ST 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9292604 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature