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Molecular genetics and quantitative traits divergence among populations of Eothenomys miletus from Hengduan Mountain region
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  • Yue Ren,
  • Ting Jia,
  • Yanfei Cai,
  • Lin Zhang,
  • Hao Zhang,
  • Zhengkun Wang,
  • Wanlong Zhu
Yue Ren
Shanxi Agricultural University
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Ting Jia
Yunnan University of Business Management
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Yanfei Cai
Yunnan Normal University
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Lin Zhang
Hubei University of Chinese Medicine
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Hao Zhang
Yunnan Normal University
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Zhengkun Wang
Yunnan Normal University
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Wanlong Zhu
Yunnan Normal University

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Abstract

An important objective of evolutionary biology has always been to grasp the evolutionary and genetic processes that contribute to speciation. The present work provides the first detailed account of the genetic and physiological adaptation to changing environmental temperatures as well as the reasons causing intraspecific divergence in the Eothenomys miletus from the Hengduan mountain (HM) region, one of the biodiversity hotspots. 161 E. miletus individuals from five populations in the HM region had their genomes simplified sequenced, and one additional individual from each community had their genomes resequenced. We then characterized the genetic diversity and population structure of each population and compared the phenotypic divergence in traits using neutral molecular markers. We detected significant phenotypic and genetic alterations in E. miletus from the HM region that were related to naturally occurring diverse habitats by combining morphometrics and genomic techniques. The E. miletus existed asymmetric gene flow patterns, indicating that five E. miletus populations exhibit a isolation-by-island model, and this was supported by the correlation between FST and geographic distance. Finally, PST estimated by phenotypic measures of most wild traits were higher than differentiation at neutral molecular markers, indicating directional natural selection favouring different phenotypes in different populations must have been involved to achieve this much differentiation. Our findings give information on the demographic history of E. miletus, new insights into their evolution and adaptability, and literature for studies of a similar nature on other wild small mammals from the HM region.
15 Jan 2023Submitted to Ecology and Evolution
16 Jan 2023Submission Checks Completed
16 Jan 2023Assigned to Editor
24 Jan 2023Reviewer(s) Assigned
05 Feb 2023Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
10 Feb 2023Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
03 Apr 20231st Revision Received
07 Apr 2023Submission Checks Completed
07 Apr 2023Assigned to Editor
07 Apr 2023Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
11 Apr 2023Reviewer(s) Assigned
30 May 2023Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
05 Jul 20232nd Revision Received
17 Jul 2023Submission Checks Completed
17 Jul 2023Assigned to Editor
17 Jul 2023Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
18 Jul 2023Editorial Decision: Accept