Extensive introgression and mosaic genomes of Mediterranean endemic lizards
Yang, Weizhao LU ; Feiner, Nathalie LU ; Pinho, Catarina ; While, Geoffrey M. LU ; Kaliontzopoulou, Antigoni ; Harris, D. James ; Salvi, Daniele LU
and Uller, Tobias
LU
(2021)
In Nature Communications
12(1).
- Abstract
The Mediterranean basin is a hotspot of biodiversity, fuelled by climatic oscillation and geological change over the past 20 million years. Wall lizards of the genus Podarcis are among the most abundant, diverse, and conspicuous Mediterranean fauna. Here, we unravel the remarkably entangled evolutionary history of wall lizards by sequencing genomes of 34 major lineages covering 26 species. We demonstrate an early (>11 MYA) separation into two clades centred on the Iberian and Balkan Peninsulas, and two clades of Mediterranean island endemics. Diversification within these clades was pronounced between 6.5–4.0 MYA, a period spanning the Messinian Salinity Crisis, during which the Mediterranean Sea nearly dried up before rapidly... (More)
The Mediterranean basin is a hotspot of biodiversity, fuelled by climatic oscillation and geological change over the past 20 million years. Wall lizards of the genus Podarcis are among the most abundant, diverse, and conspicuous Mediterranean fauna. Here, we unravel the remarkably entangled evolutionary history of wall lizards by sequencing genomes of 34 major lineages covering 26 species. We demonstrate an early (>11 MYA) separation into two clades centred on the Iberian and Balkan Peninsulas, and two clades of Mediterranean island endemics. Diversification within these clades was pronounced between 6.5–4.0 MYA, a period spanning the Messinian Salinity Crisis, during which the Mediterranean Sea nearly dried up before rapidly refilling. However, genetic exchange between lineages has been a pervasive feature throughout the entire history of wall lizards. This has resulted in a highly reticulated pattern of evolution across the group, characterised by mosaic genomes with major contributions from two or more parental taxa. These hybrid lineages gave rise to several of the extant species that are endemic to Mediterranean islands. The mosaic genomes of island endemics may have promoted their extraordinary adaptability and striking diversity in body size, shape and colouration, which have puzzled biologists for centuries.
(Less)
- author
- Yang, Weizhao
LU
; Feiner, Nathalie
LU
; Pinho, Catarina
; While, Geoffrey M.
LU
; Kaliontzopoulou, Antigoni
; Harris, D. James
; Salvi, Daniele
LU
and Uller, Tobias
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2021
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Nature Communications
- volume
- 12
- issue
- 1
- article number
- 2762
- publisher
- Nature Publishing Group
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85105798253
- pmid:33980851
- ISSN
- 2041-1723
- DOI
- 10.1038/s41467-021-22949-9
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 08bed1b1-2e39-4399-b018-c62d1bb14895
- date added to LUP
- 2021-12-23 14:03:59
- date last changed
- 2024-06-17 01:57:04
@article{08bed1b1-2e39-4399-b018-c62d1bb14895,
abstract = {{<p>The Mediterranean basin is a hotspot of biodiversity, fuelled by climatic oscillation and geological change over the past 20 million years. Wall lizards of the genus Podarcis are among the most abundant, diverse, and conspicuous Mediterranean fauna. Here, we unravel the remarkably entangled evolutionary history of wall lizards by sequencing genomes of 34 major lineages covering 26 species. We demonstrate an early (>11 MYA) separation into two clades centred on the Iberian and Balkan Peninsulas, and two clades of Mediterranean island endemics. Diversification within these clades was pronounced between 6.5–4.0 MYA, a period spanning the Messinian Salinity Crisis, during which the Mediterranean Sea nearly dried up before rapidly refilling. However, genetic exchange between lineages has been a pervasive feature throughout the entire history of wall lizards. This has resulted in a highly reticulated pattern of evolution across the group, characterised by mosaic genomes with major contributions from two or more parental taxa. These hybrid lineages gave rise to several of the extant species that are endemic to Mediterranean islands. The mosaic genomes of island endemics may have promoted their extraordinary adaptability and striking diversity in body size, shape and colouration, which have puzzled biologists for centuries.</p>}},
author = {{Yang, Weizhao and Feiner, Nathalie and Pinho, Catarina and While, Geoffrey M. and Kaliontzopoulou, Antigoni and Harris, D. James and Salvi, Daniele and Uller, Tobias}},
issn = {{2041-1723}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{1}},
publisher = {{Nature Publishing Group}},
series = {{Nature Communications}},
title = {{Extensive introgression and mosaic genomes of Mediterranean endemic lizards}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-22949-9}},
doi = {{10.1038/s41467-021-22949-9}},
volume = {{12}},
year = {{2021}},
}