A5090083254- Genetic diversity and population structure
- Fish Biology and Ecology Studies
- Fish biology, ecology, and behavior
- Fish Ecology and Management Studies
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Aquatic Ecosystems and Biodiversity
- Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Aquaculture disease management and microbiota
- Ichthyology and Marine Biology
- Chromosomal and Genetic Variations
- Evolution and Paleontology Studies
- Genetic and Clinical Aspects of Sex Determination and Chromosomal Abnormalities
- Reproductive biology and impacts on aquatic species
- Evolution and Genetic Dynamics
- Identification and Quantification in Food
- Amphibian and Reptile Biology
- Retinal Development and Disorders
- Animal Genetics and Reproduction
- Physiological and biochemical adaptations
- Photoreceptor and optogenetics research
- Morphological variations and asymmetry
- melanin and skin pigmentation
- Environmental DNA in Biodiversity Studies
- Aquatic Ecosystems and Phytoplankton Dynamics
- Genetic and phenotypic traits in livestock
University of Basel
2016-2025
Zoological Institute
2018-2025
University of Giessen
2024
University of Oslo
2014-2020
National University of Singapore
2016
Chinese Academy for Environmental Planning
2016
Google (United States)
2015
University of Graz
2012
Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology
2012
University of Konstanz
2002-2011
Cichlid fishes are famous for large, diverse and replicated adaptive radiations in the Great Lakes of East Africa. To understand molecular mechanisms underlying cichlid phenotypic diversity, we sequenced genomes transcriptomes five lineages African cichlids: Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), an ancestral lineage with low diversity; four members lineage: Neolamprologus brichardi/pulcher (older radiation, Lake Tanganyika), Metriaclima zebra (recent Malawi), Pundamilia nyererei (very recent...
Lake Victoria harbors a unique species-rich flock of more than 500 endemic haplochromine cichlid fishes. The origin, age, and mechanism diversification this extraordinary radiation are still debated. Geological evidence suggests that the lake dried out completely about 14,700 years ago. On basis phylogenetic analyses almost 300 DNA sequences mitochondrial control region East African cichlids, we find is derived from geologically older Kivu. We suggest two seeding lineages may have already...
Abstract Genealogies estimated from haplotypic genetic data play a prominent role in various biological disciplines general and phylogenetics, population genetics phylogeography particular. Several software packages have specifically been developed for the purpose of reconstructing genealogies closely related, hence, highly similar haplotype sequence data. Here, we use simulated sets to test performance traditional phylogenetic algorithms, neighbour‐joining, maximum parsimony likelihood...
Abstract Background The adaptive radiations of cichlid fishes in East Africa are well known for their spectacular diversity and astonishingly fast rates speciation. About 80% all 2,500 species Africa, virtually from Lakes Victoria (~500 species) Malawi (~1,000 haplochromines. Here, we present the most extensive phylogenetic phylogeographic analysis so far that includes about 100 is based on 2,000 bp mitochondrial DNA. Results Our analyses revealed haplochromine lineages ultimately derived...
Abstract Summary: Computer programs for the statistical analysis of microsatellite data use allele length variation to infer, e.g. population genetic parameters, detect quantitative trait loci or selective sweeps. However, observed lengths are usually inaccurate and may deviate from expected periodicity repeats. The common practice rounding nearest whole number frequently results in miscalls underestimations allelic richness. Manual sorting into discrete classes, a process called binning, is...
Abstract Evolutionary diversification is often initiated by adaptive divergence between populations occupying ecologically distinct environments while still exchanging genes. The genetic foundations of this process are largely unknown and here explored through genome scans in multiple independent lake–stream population pairs threespine stickleback. We find that across the pairs, overall genomic associated with magnitude phenotypes known to be under divergent selection. Along same axis...
Kjetill S. Jakobsen, Sissel Jentoft and colleagues assemble partial draft genomes analyze sequences from 66 teleost fish species to determine major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I II gene status. They find that MHC is absent the Gadiformes lineage, while expansions have occurred multiple times. Teleost fishes constitute most species-rich vertebrate clade exhibit extensive genetic phenotypic variation, including diverse immune defense strategies. The genomic basis of a particularly...
The Great Lakes of East Africa are collectively the earth's most remarkable and species-rich freshwater feature. Intrinsic biological factors extrinsic ecological opportunities allowed much lakes' spectacular diversity to evolve through evolutionary (often adaptive) radiation explosive speciation. Beyond patterns processes that led this biodiversity its astonishing morphological disparity, we highlight ecosystem functioning complex biotic interactions such as coevolution. Comparative...
Vertebrate vision is accomplished through light-sensitive photopigments consisting of an opsin protein bound to a chromophore. In dim light, vertebrates generally rely on single rod [rhodopsin 1 (RH1)] for obtaining visual information. By inspecting 101 fish genomes, we found that three deep-sea teleost lineages have independently expanded their
The closure of the Isthmus Panama has long been considered to be one best defined biogeographic calibration points for molecular divergence-time estimation. However, geological and biological evidence recently cast doubt on presumed timing initial isthmus around 3 Ma but instead suggested existence temporary land bridges as early Middle or Late Miocene. supporting these earlier was based either only few markers concatenation genome-wide sequence data, an approach that is known result in...
Abstract Numerous novel adaptations characterise the radiation of notothenioids, dominant fish group in freezing seas Southern Ocean. To improve understanding evolution this iconic group, here we generate and analyse new genome assemblies for 24 species covering all major subgroups radiation, including five long-read assemblies. We present a estimate onset at 10.7 million years ago, based on time-calibrated phylogeny derived from genome-wide sequence data. identify two-fold variation size,...
Abstract Chemoreception – the ability to smell and taste is an essential sensory modality of most animals. The number type chemical stimuli that animals can perceive depends primarily on diversity chemoreceptors they possess express. In vertebrates, six families G protein-coupled receptors form core their chemosensory system, olfactory/pheromone receptor gene OR , TAAR V1R V2R T1R T2R . Here, we study vertebrate chemoreceptor repertoire its evolutionary history. Through examination 1,527...
Lake Tanganyika, the oldest of East African Great Lakes, harbors ecologically, morphologically, and behaviorally most complex all assemblages cichlid fishes, consisting about 200 described species. The evolutionary old age assemblage, its extreme degree morphological differentiation, lack species with intermediate morphologies, rapidity lineage formation have made reconstruction difficult. number origin seeding lineages, particularly possible contribution riverine haplochromine cichlids to...
Water level fluctuations are important modulators of speciation processes in tropical lakes, that they temporarily form or break down barriers to gene flow among adjacent populations and/or incipient species. Time estimates the most recent major lowstands three African Great Lakes thus crucial infer relative timescales explosive events cichlid species flocks. Our approach combines geological evidence with genetic divergence data fishes from East derived fastest-evolving mtDNA segment....
Abstract Speciation caused by introgressive hybridization occurs frequently in plants but its importance remains controversial animal evolution. Here we report a case of between two ancient and genetically distinct species Lake Tanganyika cichlids that led to the formation new species. Neolamprologus marunguensis contains mtDNA haplotypes from both parental varying on average 12.4% first section control region 5.2% segment cytochrome b gene. All individuals have almost identical DNA...
Abstract Background Phenotypic evolution and its role in the diversification of organisms is a central topic evolutionary biology. A neglected factor during modern synthesis, adaptive phenotypic plasticity, more recently attracted attention many biologists now recognized as an important ingredient both population persistence diversification. The traits directions which ancestral source displays plasticity might partly determine trajectories morphospace, are accessible for radiation, starting...
The cichlids of East Africa are renowned as one the most spectacular examples adaptive radiation. They provide a unique opportunity to investigate relationships between ecology, morphological diversity, and phylogeny in producing such remarkable diversity. Nevertheless, parameters radiations these fish have not been satisfactorily quantified yet. Lake Tanganyika possesses all major lineages African cichlid fish, so by using geometric morphometrics comparative analyses ecology morphology, an...
Parallel adaptation is common and may often occur from shared genetic variation, but the genomic consequences of this process remain poorly understood. We first use individual-based simulations to demonstrate that comparisons between populations adapted in parallel similar environments variation reveal a characteristic signature around selected locus: low-divergence valley centred at locus flanked by twin peaks high divergence. This initiated hitchhiking haplotype tracts differing derived...