Search results for "SEL"

Changes in freshwater sediment microbial populations during fermentation of crude glycerol

2020

This work was supported by the Latvian Council of Science , project NN-CARMA, project No. lzp-2018/1-0194.

Olfactory cues and the value of information: voles interpret cues based on recent predator encounters

2018

Abstract Prey strategically respond to the risk of predation by varying their behavior while balancing the tradeoffs of food and safety. We present here an experiment that tests the way the same indirect cues of predation risk are interpreted by bank voles, Myodes glareolus, as the game changes through exposure to a caged weasel. Using optimal patch use, we asked wild-caught voles to rank the risk they perceived. We measured their response to olfactory cues in the form of weasel bedding, a sham control in the form of rabbit bedding, and an odor-free control. We repeated the interviews in a chronological order to test the change in response, i.e., the changes in the value of the information.…

Very high MHC Class IIB diversity without spatial differentiation in the mediterranean population of greater Flamingos.

2017

WOS: 000397335400001

Selective sweep ofWolbachiaand parthenogenetic host genomes - the example of the weevilEusomus ovulum

2016

Most parthenogenetic weevil species are postulated to have originated via hybridization, but Wolbachia has also been speculated to play a role via the induction of parthenogenesis. Here, we examine the molecular diversity of Wolbachia and parthenogenetic host genomes. The host species studied here, Eusomus ovulum, is known to be exclusively parthenogenetic and triploid. The E. ovulum populations that we examined had a low genetic diversity of mitochondrial (cytochrome oxidase I gene) and nuclear markers (internal transcribed spacer 2 and elongation factor 1-α gene), and they all were infected by only single bacteria strains (genotyped for five genes according to the multilocus sequence typi…

Experimental contact zones reveal causes and targets of sexual selection in hybridizing lizards

2016

Divergence in sexually selected traits in allopatry should affect the degree and direction of hybridization. However, few studies have established the causes and targets of sexual selection during secondary contact. Common wall lizards (Podarcis muralis) from north-central Italy have highly exaggerated male sexual traits compared to populations in Western Europe. Using experimental populations, we show that this creates asymmetries in male dominance, spatial habitat use and reproductive success upon secondary contact. Hybridization occurred almost exclusively between males of the Italian lineage and females of the Western European lineage. We provide evidence to suggest stronger ongoing sel…

Adaptive Evolution and Epigenetics

2023

Epigenetic changes, such as DNA methylation and certain histone modifications, can be inherited but in many cases they do not follow Mendelian inheritance patterns and their stability appears to be lower than for changes in DNA sequence. Adaptive evolution by natural selection requires that differences among individuals are heritable to some degree. Epigenetic changes can be incorporated into evolutionary theory, and given that properties of epigenetic variation are distinct from genetic variation, spontaneous epigenetic changes can affect evolutionary dynamics in interesting ways. In this chapter, I review the properties of epigenetic variation and how they relate to the main parameters of…

Chironomus riparius(Diptera) genome sequencing reveals the impact of minisatellite transposable elements on population divergence

2016

AbstractActive transposable elements (TEs) may result in divergent genomic insertion and abundance patterns among conspecific populations. Upon secondary contact, such divergent genetic backgrounds can theoretically give rise to classical Dobzhansky-Muller incompatibilities (DMI), a way how TEs can contribute to the evolution of endogenous genetic barriers and eventually population divergence. We investigated whether differential TE activity created endogenous selection pressures among conspecific populations of the non-biting midgeChironomus riparius,focussing on aChironomus-specific TE, the minisatellite-likeCla-element, whose activity is associated with speciation in the genus. Using an …

S-genotype identification, genetic diversity and structure analysis of Italian sweet cherry germplasm

2017

In this study, 186 local sweet cherry accessions from 12 Italian regions, plus eight reference accessions, were analysed for the first time, using 13 microsatellite markers. Moreover, their S-incompatibility genotypes were identified with consensus primers for the S-RNase and SFB genes. A total of 161 unique genotypes were found; 18 groups of synonyms, along with the discovery of cases of misidentification. The average number of alleles per locus was 9.7, the mean expected heterozygosity (He) was 0.63, the mean observed heterozygosity (Ho) was 0.65 and the mean polymorphic information content (PIC) was 0.58. The structure analysis revealed the presence of six populations, which reflected in…

Urgent need for preservation of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L. Subsp. vinifera) germplasm from small circum-Sicilian islands as revealed by SSR markers…

2016

Since the last decades grapevine germplasm is undergoing a process of rapid genetic erosion. This process is of particular concern in minor circum-Sicilian islands, because of the sharp reduction of the cultivated surfaces and the shift of their economy from agriculture to tourism. Aiming at valorising and preserving the surviving varieties we collected 185 accessions during several surveys since 2007. Six nuclear microsatellite markers were used for germplasm characterization, yielding 75 different genetic profiles. We found out that most genetic profiles (39) were not listed in national and international grapevine databases, confirming that the Sicilian minor islands represent underexplor…

2018

Preinfection by one parasitic species may facilitate or by contrast hamper the subsequent penetration and/or establishment of other parasites in a host. The biology of interacting species, timing of preinfection, and dosage of subsequent parasite exposure are likely important variables in this multiparasite dynamic infection process. The increased vulnerability to subsequent infection can be an important and often overlooked factor influencing parasite virulence. We investigated how the preinfection by freshwater pearl mussel Margaritifera margaritifera glochidia could influence the success of subsequent infection by the common trematode Diplostomum pseudospathaceum in brown trout Salmo tru…