Publications by authors named "B Hellemans"

Habitat fragmentation impacts the distribution of genetic diversity and population genetic structure. Therefore, protecting the evolutionary potential of species, especially in the context of the current rate of human-induced environmental change, is an important goal. In riverine ecosystems, migration barriers affect the genetic structure of native species, while also influencing the spread of invasive species.

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The work of Peter Abelard (1079-1142) leaves no one indifferent. Why should the writings stir up such emotions long after he became a point of reference in the history of ideas? Perhaps the most important reason is that Abelard has always been more than the author of his books. For the historians of ideas he served as an example of what it is to lead an intellectually independent life, against the standards set by society and church.

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Anthropogenic stressors, such as pollutants, act as selective factors that can leave measurable changes in allele frequencies in the genome. Metals are of particular concern among pollutants, because of interference with vital biological pathways. We use the three-spined stickleback as a model for adaptation to mercury pollution in natural populations.

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Background: Genome-wide data are invaluable to characterize differentiation and adaptation of natural populations. Reduced representation sequencing (RRS) subsamples a genome repeatedly across many individuals. However, RRS requires careful optimization and fine-tuning to deliver high marker density while being cost-efficient.

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There is a general and solid theoretical framework to explain how the interplay between natural selection and gene flow affects local adaptation. Yet, to what extent coexisting closely related species evolve collectively or show distinctive evolutionary responses remains a fundamental question. To address this, we studied the population genetic structure and morphological differentiation of sympatric three-spined and nine-spined stickleback.

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