Biology subjects

Poveda-Martinez, D.

Publications and source records attributed to Poveda-Martinez, D..

2 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Contemporary ecological heterogeneity shapes candidate adaptive genomic variation across the native range of an invasive herbivore

Ecological heterogeneity within a species native range can shape genomic variation available for subsequent range expansion and biological invasion. The cactus moth, Cactoblastis cactorum, is a South American oligophagous herbivore on Opuntia that has become an invasive pest outside its native range. In Argentina, populations span wide climatic and geographic gradients and exploit both native Opuntia species and the introduced crop O. ficus-indica. Using ddRADseq data from 136 individuals across 28 populations, we combined genome-wide differentiation scans (XtX), a host-use contrast, and genotype-environment association (GEA) analyses to identify candidate genomic signatures associated with contemporary ecological variation. XtX analyses detected 12 candidate regions, whereas the host-use contrast identified 17 regions differentiating populations sampled from O. ficus-indica and native Opuntia, several of which persisted in a geographically restricted sensitivity analysis. GEA analyses identified 167 covariate-specific loci, including candidate genes associated with detoxification and metabolism (CYP6B2), oxygen-sensing pathways (Egln1), and circadian regulation (TIMELESS). Convergence among analyses was limited but stronger than expected by chance. Temperature-associated loci in fax and Bag6 occurred within an XtX candidate region, whereas Hspg2 was independently recovered in host-use and environmental analyses and retained after geographic restriction. Most candidate variants occurred in non-coding genomic contexts, protein-altering variants were uncommon, and candidate genes spanned diverse functions, consistent with a potentially regulatory and polygenic architecture of adaptation. Overall, our results reveal a heterogeneous genomic landscape associated with climatic variation and introduced-host use, with recurrent loci providing the strongest evidence for localized adaptive differentiation across the native range of C. cactorum.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2026

Genomic signatures of selection and putative adaptive introgression during the African expansion of the house mouse

How species adapt to novel environments following biological invasion remains a central question in evolutionary biology. The recent human-mediated expansion of the western house mouse (Mus musculus domesticus) across Africa provides an opportunity to investigate the genomic basis of these rapid evolutionary responses. Using whole-genome data from 218 wild mice sampled across Europe and Africa, we combined complementary genome-wide differentiation, genotype-environment association, haplotype-based selection, and localized introgression analyses to investigate genomic signatures of selection and assess the contribution of interspecific gene flow from the native congener Mus spretus to these patterns. Genome-wide differentiation analyses identified candidate regions enriched for immune and epithelial-barrier functions, chemosensory perception, and neural or developmental pathways. Genotype-environment association analyses recovered fewer candidates linked mainly to precipitation, whereas haplotype-based scans highlighted recent selective signals involving sensory, immune, and neural functions. Across analyses, candidate regions were dominated by non-coding variation, supporting a predominantly regulatory and likely polygenic genomic architecture. Although excess allele sharing with M. spretus varied among populations, overlap between introgression and selection candidates was limited but greater than expected by chance. Several overlapping regions were also present in European populations, indicating that introgressed variants likely predated African colonization. Overall, our results suggest that the genomic signatures accompanying the African expansion of house mice were driven mainly by selection on M. m. domesticus variation, whereas introgressed M. spretus alleles contributed to a smaller subset of candidate loci and may have played a role in adaptation in African populations.

evolutionary biology↗