Genomic Introgression and Adaptation of Southern Seabird Species Facilitate Recent Polar Colonization

Jorquera, Josefina ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-6538-5011; Morales, Lucila ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-4155-0559; Ng, Elize Y X ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1014-182X; Noll, Daly ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3733-8817; Pertierra, Luis R ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2232-428X; Pliscoff, Patricio ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5971-8880; Balza, Ulises ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1538-2438; Boulinier, Thierry ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5898-7667; Gamble, Amandine ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5430-9124; Kasinsky, Tatiana ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-7713-2888; McInnes, Julie C ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8902-5199; Marín, Juan Carlos ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3617-8631; Olmastroni, Silvia ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9319-9914; Pistorius, Pierre ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6561-7069; Phillips, Richard A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0208-1444; González-Solís, Jacob ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8691-9397; Emmerson, Louise ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7336-0961; Poulin, Elie ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7736-0969; Bowie, Rauri C K ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8328-6021; Burridge, Christopher P ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8185-6091; Vianna, Juliana A ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2330-7825. 2025 Genomic Introgression and Adaptation of Southern Seabird Species Facilitate Recent Polar Colonization. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 42 (3). 20, pp. 10.1093/molbev/msaf053

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Abstract/Summary

Genomic adaptation and introgression can occur during the speciation process, enabling species to diverge in their frequencies of adaptive alleles or acquire new alleles that may promote adaptation to environmental changes. There is limited information on introgression in organisms from extreme environments and their responses to climate change. To address these questions, we focused on the 3 southern skua species, selected for their widespread distribution across the Southern Hemisphere and their complex history of speciation and introgression events. Our genomic data reveal that these skuas underwent diversification around the Penultimate Glacial Period, followed by subsequent demographic expansion. We identified a geographic region of introgression among species that followed a directional pattern sourced from the Antarctic continent, South America, and east to west in subantarctic islands, all converging towards the Antarctic Peninsula. The 3 skua species and admixed individuals exhibited a unique pattern of putative genes under selection, allowing adaptation to extreme conditions. Individuals with a higher proportion of Brown Skua ancestry showed signs of selection on genes related to reproductive isolation, while admixed individuals with a higher proportion of South Polar Skua ancestry displayed patterns resembling those of the South Polar Skua. Introgression may be a key mechanism of adaptation for many species that may help buffer against the ongoing climate change.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	10.1093/molbev/msaf053
ISSN:	0737-4038
Additional Keywords:	comparative population genomics, speciation, positive selection, future niche projections, polar regions
Date made live:	22 Apr 2025 09:51 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/539288

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