Optimising Exome Captures in Species With Large Genomes Using Species-Specific Repetitive DNA Blocker.

Large and highly repetitive genomes are common. However, research interests usually lie within the non-repetitive parts of the genome, as they are more likely functional, and can be used to answer questions related to adaptation, selection and evolutionary history. Exome capture is a cost-effective method for providing sequencing data from protein-coding parts of the genes.

The Genetic Architecture of Recombination Rates is Polygenic and Differs Between the Sexes in Wild House Sparrows (Passer domesticus).

Meiotic recombination through chromosomal crossing-over is a fundamental feature of sex and an important driver of genomic diversity. It ensures proper disjunction, allows increased selection responses, and prevents mutation accumulation; however, it is also mutagenic and can break up favorable haplotypes. This cost-benefit dynamic is likely to vary depending on mechanistic and evolutionary contexts, and indeed, recombination rates show huge variation in nature.

The genetic basis of dispersal in a vertebrate metapopulation.

Dispersal affects evolutionary processes by changing population size and genetic composition, influencing the viability and persistence of populations. Investigating which mechanisms underlie variation in dispersal phenotypes and whether populations harbour adaptive potential for dispersal is crucial to understanding the eco-evolutionary dynamics of this important trait. Here, we investigate the genetic architecture of dispersal among successfully recruited individuals in an insular metapopulation of house sparrows.