Multi-model seascape genomics identifies distinct environmental drivers of selection among sympatric marine species
Date
2020-09-16
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
BMC (part of Springer Nature)
Abstract
Background: As global change and anthropogenic pressures continue to increase, conservation and management
increasingly needs to consider species’ potential to adapt to novel environmental conditions. Therefore, it is
imperative to characterise the main selective forces acting on ecosystems, and how these may influence the
evolutionary potential of populations and species. Using a multi-model seascape genomics approach, we compare
putative environmental drivers of selection in three sympatric southern African marine invertebrates with
contrasting ecology and life histories: Cape urchin (Parechinus angulosus), Common shore crab (Cyclograpsus
punctatus), and Granular limpet (Scutellastra granularis).
Results: Using pooled (Pool-seq), restriction-site associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq), and seven outlier detection
methods, we characterise genomic variation between populations along a strong biogeographical gradient. Of the
three species, only S. granularis showed significant isolation-by-distance, and isolation-by-environment driven by sea
surface temperatures (SST). In contrast, sea surface salinity (SSS) and range in air temperature correlated more
strongly with genomic variation in C. punctatus and P. angulosus. Differences were also found in genomic
structuring between the three species, with outlier loci contributing to two clusters in the East and West Coasts for
S. granularis and P. angulosus, but not for C. punctatus.
Conclusion: The findings illustrate distinct evolutionary potential across species, suggesting that species-specific
habitat requirements and responses to environmental stresses may be better predictors of evolutionary patterns
than the strong environmental gradients within the region. We also found large discrepancies between outlier
detection methodologies, and thus offer a novel multi-model approach to identifying the principal environmental
selection forces acting on species. Overall, this work highlights how adding a comparative approach to seascape
genomics (both with multiple models and species) can elucidate the intricate evolutionary responses of ecosystems
to global change.
Description
CITATION: Nielsen, E. S., et al. 2020. Multi-model seascape genomics identifies distinct environmental drivers of selection among sympatric marine species. BMC Evolutionary Biology, 20:121, doi:10.1186/s12862-020-01679-4.
The original publication is available at https://bmcevolbiol.biomedcentral.com
The original publication is available at https://bmcevolbiol.biomedcentral.com
Keywords
Marine invertebrates, Genomics, Conservation genetics, Genetic diversity, Phylogeography, Environmentalism, Cyclographsus punctatus -- Genomics, Parechinus angulosus -- Genomics, Scutellastra granularis -- Genomics, DNA (RAD) sequencing
Citation
Nielsen, E. S., et al. 2020. Multi-model seascape genomics identifies distinct environmental drivers of selection among sympatric marine species. BMC Evolutionary Biology, 20:121, doi:10.1186/s12862-020-01679-4