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Category Archives: population genetics
Introgression history in sticklebacks and oaks
Speciation theory has many monikers for differential gene flow – migration, introgression, admixture, hybridization, secondary contact. As a homogenizing process, gene flow at large acts to reduce differentiation between populations post-divergence. However, selection and demography affect the rates of gene … Continue reading
Sweptaway – Part 3 – Adaptation genomics of White Sands Lizards
Recent colonization events offer juicy insights into the adaptive evolution of species in response to natural selection of novel habitats – however, they are confounded by demographic changes (eg. bottlenecks, differential migration). In a recent study, Laurent et al. (2015) … Continue reading
Landscape genetics shows that Tanzanian forest monkeys feel the heat of human influence
A new publication appearing in Heredity applies new methods for associating population genetic data with landscape resistance to an tropical, endangered species. The authors utilize multiple measurements of landscape resistance, like forest cover and distance from the nearest village, to select the … Continue reading
Sweptaway – Part 2
Numerous methods have been developed over the last few years for the detection of selective sweeps (hard and soft – see my previous post). This week, we look at three new studies that (a) compare existing methods to detect sweeps … Continue reading
Posted in adaptation, bioinformatics, evolution, genomics, methods, population genetics, selection, software, theory
Tagged genomics, methods, natural selection, population structure
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Small mammalian genomics of adaptation
While large mammals have had their day on our blog, two recent studies on small mammals reveal the genetics of size evolution in island mice, and differential introgression of mitochondrial and nuclear genomes in chipmunks – steps towards understanding the … Continue reading
Posted in adaptation, domestication, evolution, genomics, natural history, pedigree, phylogenetics, population genetics, selection
Tagged Evolution, gene flow, genomics, natural selection
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Testing local adaptation at latitudinal and elevation range edges
A species’ distribution is determined by the relative strength and complex interaction of many factors including (but not limited to) dispersal, life history, and physiological tolerance. Often the center of a species’ range is the warm, fuzzy place to be and fitness there is … Continue reading
Posted in adaptation, plants, population genetics, selection
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Sweptaway – Part 1
Brace yourselves for a series of new posts on selection, especially with articles from the special Molecular Ecology issue on “Detecting selection in natural populations: making sense of genome scans and towards alternative solutions” starting to roll out! Selective sweeps … Continue reading
What's the most replicated finding in population genetics?
DrugMonkey tells a tale of a specific finding in addiction research — that rats provided with an intravenous drip of cocaine solution will push a lever to self-administer the drug — which has been replicated countless times over the decades. … Continue reading