Thermal physiological traits such as body temperature often show surprisingly slow evolutionary rates over macroevolutionary time, despite apparent lability at microevolutionary time scales. While long-term stabilizing selection may slow rates of thermal evolution, we propose an alternative hypothesis from a bottom-up, population genomic perspective: the nature of body temperature (Tb) as an organism-level trait that […]
Multiple genetic origins of non-native, self-sustaining rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss in streams in Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany
Introduced in the late 19th Century, Oncorhynchus mykiss (rainbow trout) have been stocked historically in streams throughout Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany, and some populations have become self-sustaining with unclear impact on native salmonid populations. We sampled 223 rainbow trout from 14 streams and 3 hatcheries, from which the streams are known to have been stocked. We conducted […]
Environmental phylogenetics supports a steady diversification of crown eukaryotes starting from the mid Proterozoic
Molecular clock and preservation of early microfossil assemblages suggest that eukaryotes were present and already diverse more than ~1600 million years ago (Ma). Yet, the earliest identifiable eukaryotic crown group fossil only appeared around 1050 Ma, leaving a ~600 million years gap in the Mesoproterozoic during which the evolution and diversification of early eukaryotes remain […]
Extensive nuclear datasets resolve the phylogeny of siphonous green algae and identify genome duplications as a contributing factor to evolutionary adaptations
The Bryopsidales, a group of siphonous green algae, are of particular evolutionary interest due to their unusual cellular organization and striking morphological and ecological diversity. There are indications for genome duplication, but low taxon sampling has limited our insights of these processes and how they may contribute to these traits. The relationships among certain bryopsidalean […]
Age-specific genomic and transcriptomic variation reveals limited evidence for cis-regulatory interactions modulating aging in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a well-established model for studying the genetic basis of complex traits, and it is a powerful system for investigating mechanisms of aging. Here, we examine the genomic and transcriptomic factors contributing to increased replicative age in recombinant yeast populations harboring standing genetic variation. Using Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sorting (FACS), we […]
Whole-Genome Population Genomics Reveals Lineage Structure and Adaptive Potential of Philaenus spumarius, the Principal Vector of Xylella fastidiosa in Europe
Philaenus spumarius (L.), the meadow spittlebug, is the principal European vector of Xylella fastidiosa. This xylem-feeding insect has a broad host range, ecological plasticity, and mobility, making it an efficient vector across diverse landscapes. Yet, major gaps remain in understanding its genetic diversity, migration patterns, and local adaptation, limiting effective control of X. fastidiosa outbreaks. […]
Stuck in the cell: trapping viruses in infected cells was a frequent adaptation strategy in human hosts
Hosts and viruses are in a constant evolutionary arms race, in which viruses physically interact with many host proteins (immune and non-immune) in order to replicate. Here, we manually classify ~2,500 human virus interacting proteins (VIPs) as a function of their involvement during specific viral replication steps in order to quantify host adaptation across the […]
One predator and two competing prey: insights from a stochastic metapopulation model and mean-field equations
We investigate a spatially explicit metapopulation model consisting of one predator and two hierarchically competing prey species on a discrete lattice. Each local population follows stochastic rules for extinction, colonisation, competition, and predation. From the master equation of this individual-based model, we rigorously derive the corresponding mean-field equations. The analysis of these first-principles mean-field equations […]
Multiple genetic origins of non-native, self-sustaining rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss in streams in Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany
Introduced in the late 19th Century, Oncorhynchus mykiss (rainbow trout) have been stocked historically in streams throughout Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany, and some populations have become self-sustaining with unclear impact on native salmonid populations. We sampled 223 rainbow trout from 14 streams and 3 hatcheries, from which the streams are known to have been stocked. We conducted […]
Universal genomic constraints in the evolvability of thermal physiology
Thermal physiological traits such as body temperature often show surprisingly slow evolutionary rates over macroevolutionary time, despite apparent lability at microevolutionary time scales. While long-term stabilizing selection may slow rates of thermal evolution, we propose an alternative hypothesis from a bottom-up, population genomic perspective: the nature of body temperature (Tb) as an organism-level trait that […]