Variation in the associated genomic region shows signatures of a selective sweep in the Faroese population, suggesting that positive selection drove the fixation of the variant after the introduction. Lower Agouti expression in the skin of winter-gray individuals during the autumn molt suggests that regulatory changes may underlie the color polymorphism. Through whole-genome scans of differentiation and single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping, we associated winter coat color polymorphism to the genomic region of the pigmentation gene Agouti, previously linked to introgression-driven winter coat color variation in the snowshoe hare ( Lepus americanus). The documented population history makes this a valuable model for understanding the genetic basis and evolution of the seasonal trait polymorphism. While they were initially winter-white, within ∼65 y all Faroese hares became winter-gray, a morph that occurs in the source population at low frequency. Mountain hares ( Lepus timidus) from Fennoscandia were introduced into the Faroe Islands in 1855. Many of these species maintain nonwhite winter morphs, locally adapted to less snowy conditions, which may have evolved independently. Changing from summer-brown to winter-white pelage or plumage is a crucial adaptation to seasonal snow in more than 20 mammal and bird species.
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