Repeated genetic adaptation to altitude in two tropical butterflies.

ABSTRACT: Repeated evolution can provide insight into the mechanisms that facilitate adaptation to novel or changing environments. Here we study adaptation to altitude in two tropical butterflies, Heliconius erato and H. melpomene, which have repeatedly and independently adapted to montane habitats on either side of the Andes. We sequenced 518 whole genomes from altitudinal transects and found many regions differentiated between highland (~ 1200 m) and lowland (~ 200 m) populations. We show repeated genetic differentiation across replicate populations within species, including allopatric comparisons. In contrast, there is little molecular parallelism between the two species. By sampling five close relatives, we find that a large proportion of divergent regions identified within species have arisen f

SUBMITTER: Montejo-Kovacevich G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9363431 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature