Development of SNP Panels from Low-Coverage Whole Genome Sequencing (lcWGS) to Support Indigenous Fisheries for Three Salmonid Species in Northern Canada.

Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) panels are powerful tools for assessing the genetic population structure and dispersal of fishes and can enhance management practices for commercial, recreational and subsistence mixed-stock fisheries. Arctic Char (Salvelinus alpinus), Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) and Lake Whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) are among the most harvested and consumed fish species in Northern Indigenous communities in Canada, contributing significantly to food security, culture, tradition and economy. However, genetic resources supporting Indigenous fisheries have not been widely accessible to northern communities (e.

Global assessment of effective population sizes: Consistent taxonomic differences in meeting the 50/500 rule.

Effective population size (N) is a particularly useful metric for conservation as it affects genetic drift, inbreeding and adaptive potential within populations. Current guidelines recommend a minimum N of 50 and 500 to avoid short-term inbreeding and to preserve long-term adaptive potential respectively. However, the extent to which wild populations reach these thresholds globally has not been investigated, nor has the relationship between N and human activities.

Predator-driven behavioural shifts in a common lizard shape resource-flow from marine to terrestrial ecosystems.

Foraging decisions shape the structure of food webs. Therefore, a behavioural shift in a single species can potentially modify resource-flow dynamics of entire ecosystems. To examine this, we conducted a field experiment to assess foraging niche dynamics of semi-arboreal brown anole lizards in the presence/absence of predatory ground-dwelling curly-tailed lizards in a replicated set of island ecosystems.

Location and Species Matters: Variable Influence of the Environment on the Gene Flow of Imperiled, Native and Invasive Cottontails.

The environment plays an important role in the movement of individuals and their associated genes among populations, which facilitates gene flow. Gene flow can help maintain the genetic diversity both within and between populations and counter the negative impact of genetic drift, which can decrease the fitness of individuals. Sympatric species can have different habitat preferences, and thus can exhibit different patterns of genetic variability and population structure.

Changes in selection pressure can facilitate hybridization during biological invasion in a Cuban lizard.

Hybridization is among the evolutionary mechanisms most frequently hypothesized to drive the success of invasive species, in part because hybrids are common in invasive populations. One explanation for this pattern is that biological invasions coincide with a change in selection pressures that limit hybridization in the native range. To investigate this possibility, we studied the introduction of the brown anole () in the southeastern United States.

Sex, males, and hermaphrodites in the scale insect Icerya purchasi.

Androdioecy (the coexistence of males and hermaphrodites) is a rare mating system for which the evolutionary dynamics are poorly understood. Here, we investigate the cottony cushion scale, Icerya purchasi, one of only three reported cases of androdioecy in insects. In this species, female-like hermaphrodites have been shown to produce sperm and self-fertilize.

Dispersal ability predicts spatial genetic structure in native mammals persisting across an urbanization gradient.

As the rate of urbanization continues to increase globally, a growing body of research is emerging that investigates how urbanization shapes the movement-and consequent gene flow-of species in cities. Of particular interest are native species that persist in cities, either as small relict populations or as larger populations of synanthropic species that thrive alongside humans in new urban environments. In this study, we used genomic sequence data (SNPs) and spatially explicit individual-based analyses to directly compare the genetic structure and patterns of gene flow in two small mammals with different dispersal abilities that occupy the same urbanized landscape to evaluate how mobility impacts genetic connectivity.

Loss of genetic diversity and increased embryonic mortality in non-native lizard populations.

Many populations are small and isolated with limited genetic variation and high risk of mating with close relatives. Inbreeding depression is suspected to contribute to extinction of wild populations, but the historical and demographic factors that contribute to reduced population viability are often difficult to tease apart. Replicated introduction events in non-native species can offer insights into this problem because they allow us to study how genetic variation and inbreeding depression are affected by demographic events (e.

Sexual selection drives asymmetric introgression in wall lizards.

Hybridisation is increasingly recognised as an important cause of diversification and adaptation. Here, we show how divergence in male secondary sexual characters between two lineages of the common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis) gives rise to strong asymmetries in male competitive ability and mating success, resulting in asymmetric hybridisation upon secondary contact. Combined with no negative effects of hybridisation on survival or reproductive characters in F1-hybrids, these results suggest that introgression should be asymmetric, resulting in the displacement of sexual characters of the sub-dominant lineage.

Widespread primary, but geographically restricted secondary, human introductions of wall lizards, Podarcis muralis.

Establishing the introduction pathways of alien species is a fundamental task in invasion biology. The common wall lizard, Podarcis muralis, has been widely introduced outside of its native range in both Europe and North America, primarily through escaped pets or deliberate release of animals from captive or wild populations. Here, we use Bayesian clustering, approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) methods and network analyses to reconstruct the origin and colonization history of 23 non-native populations of wall lizards in England.

Adaptive responses to cool climate promotes persistence of a non-native lizard.

Successful establishment and range expansion of non-native species often require rapid accommodation of novel environments. Here, we use common-garden experiments to demonstrate parallel adaptive evolutionary response to a cool climate in populations of wall lizards (Podarcis muralis) introduced from southern Europe into England. Low soil temperatures in the introduced range delay hatching, which generates directional selection for a shorter incubation period.

Phylogeography and conservation genetics of the common wall lizard, Podarcis muralis, on islands at its northern range.

Populations at range limits are often characterized by lower genetic diversity, increased genetic isolation and differentiation relative to populations at the core of geographical ranges. Furthermore, it is increasingly recognized that populations situated at range limits might be the result of human introductions rather than natural dispersal. It is therefore important to document the origin and genetic diversity of marginal populations to establish conservation priorities.