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<h1 class="title display">Butterfly genome reveals promiscuous
exchange of mimicry adaptations among species.</h1>
<p class="authors display"> Heliconius Genome Consortium. </p>
<p class="publication display"> <span class="journalname">Nature.</span>
<span class="pubdate">2012 Jul 5</span>; <span class="volume">487</span>(<span
class="issue">7405</span>):<span class="fpage">94-8</span> </p>
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<div class="article-rating"> <strong class="rating-score">8</strong>
<span class="rating-description">Must Read</span> </div>
<p class="evaluator-data"> <span class="evaluator"><a
href="http://f1000.com/thefaculty/member/1973591879241423">Patrik
Nosil</a> and <a
href="http://f1000.com/thefaculty/member/4266616322526096">Aaron
Comeault</a></span>, University of Colorado, CO, USA. <a
href="http://f1000.com/thefaculty/genomgen"> F1000 Genomics
& Genetics </a> </p>
<p class="evaluation-data"> 23 Jun 2012 | <span
class="links-classifications"> Controversial, Interesting
Hypothesis, New Finding </span> </p>
<p class="evaluation-doi"> DOI: 10.3410/f.717147891.792452901 </p>
</div>
<p class="opinion">Despite a general and widespread interest in
adaptive evolution, relatively little is known regarding the
relative importance of different evolutionary mechanisms (e.g. de
novo mutation, gene flow) in facilitating adaptation to different
selective environments. For example, there is much debate in the
literature over whether gene flow and introgression constrain or
promote adaptive evolution. In the study reported here, the
Heliconius Genome Consortium provides compelling evidence that
introgressive hybridization may play a fundamental role in
facilitating adaptation and speciation in a classic Heliconius
mimicry ring. With studies such as this, variants of the
'transporter' hypothesis (as per Schluter and Conte {1}) are
gaining support, and strong evidence for introgressive
hybridization as a facilitating mechanism underlying adaptation
and speciation in at least two classic examples of adaptive
radiation now exist. <br>
<br>
Specifically, this study uses a combination of whole-genome,
targeted and restriction-site-associated DNA (RAD)-tag sequencing
approaches to provide evidence for introgressive hybridization
between distantly related species of Heliconius butterflies. More
importantly, they show that introgression is especially pronounced
at regions of the genome known to harbor adaptive variants
underlying an ecologically relevant, and locally adapted, trait
(i.e. aposematic colouration). Anyone interested in the mechanisms
underlying evolutionary diversification should consider this study
a must read.</p>
<b>References</b>
<div class="contributorPreviewReferenceNumber">1.</div>
<span class="title reference">Genetics and ecological speciation. </span>
<span class="authors-reference">Schluter D, Conte GL </span> <span
class="publication reference">Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2009 Jun
16; 106 Suppl 1: 9955-62 </span> <span
class="contributorPreviewReferenceNormal">PMID: <a
href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19528639">19528639</a>
DOI: <a href="http://www.pnas.org/content/106/suppl.1/9955.long">10.1073/pnas.0901264106</a></span><br>
<br>
<hr size="2" width="100%">8 Must Read<span class="evaluator"><br>
<a href="http://f1000.com/thefaculty/member/9126535814940284">Laurent
Keller</a></span>, University of Lausanne, Switzerland. <a
href="http://f1000.com/thefaculty/ecol"> F1000 Ecology </a>
<p class="evaluator-data"> </p>
<p class="evaluation-data"> 20 Jul 2012 | <span
class="links-classifications"> Good for Teaching, Technical
Advance, New Finding </span> </p>
<p class="evaluation-doi"> DOI: 10.3410/f.717147891.793453584 </p>
<p class="opinion">This is a great paper showing how genome projects
can be used to obtain important information on the evolution of
adaptive traits. By comparing the genomes of several closely
related species of butterflies, the author convincingly
demonstrate that introgression and hybridisation have played
important roles in between-species transfer of genes implicated in
mimicry. <br>
<br>
Even though hybridisation seems to be quite uncommon among the
three Heliconius butterflies studied, there seems to have been
extensive gene flow at two genomic regions encompassing
colour-pattern genes known to be implicated in mimicry. This study
adds to an increasing number of studies showing that hybridisation
has played an important role in adaptive radiation.</p>
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<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">
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<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
James Mallet
OEB & GEE Depts
Harvard University & University College London
Cambridge, MA 02138 and LONDON WC1E 6BT
USA tel: +(1)617-496-5350
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.ucl.ac.uk/taxome/jim">www.ucl.ac.uk/taxome/jim</a></pre>
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