Genomic consequences of colonisation, migration and genetic drift in barn owl insular populations of the eastern Mediterranean.

ABSTRACT: The study of insular populations was key in the development of evolutionary theory. The successful colonisation of an island depends on the geographic context, and specific characteristics of the organism and the island, but also on stochastic processes. As a result, apparently identical islands may harbour populations with contrasting histories. Here, we use whole genome sequences of 65 barn owls to investigate the patterns of inbreeding and genetic diversity of insular populations in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. We focus on Crete and Cyprus, islands with similar size, climate and distance to mainland, that provide natural replicates for a comparative analysis of the impacts of microevolutionary processes on isolated populations. We show that barn owl populations from each island have a

SUBMITTER: Machado AP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9305133 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature