A mosaic of modular variation at a single gene underpins convergent plumage coloration
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The reshuffling of genomic variation from multiple origins is an important contributor to phenotypic diversification, yet insights into the evolutionary trajectories of this combinatorial process and their interplay with genetic architecture remain scarce. We show that convergent plumage color evolution in wheatears involves a monogenic architecture with modular variation introgressed at the agouti signaling protein (ASIP) locus. Introgression of a novel transposable element insertion and linked protein-coding variation underpin a trans-specific throat color polymorphism, which stable isotopes suggest is associated with alternative foraging niches. Co-introgression of linked regulatory ASIP variation resulted in mantle color convergence in one species, while convergent color evolution at the genus level required novel variation. Our results illustrate evolutionary trajectories from introgressed variation realized within the constraints of a monogenic architecture.
Authors: Lutgen, Dave, Peona, Valentina, Chase, Madeline A., Alaei Kakhki, Niloofar, Lammers, Fritjof, de Souza, Stacey G., Ducrest, Anne-Lyse, Burri, Marta, Andriopoulos, Pavlos, Lukhele, Sifiso M., Moysi, Michaella, Yohannes, Elizabeth, Abbasov, Abdin, Albayrak, Tamer, Aliabadian, Mansour, Auchli, Nicolas, Bontzorlos, Vasileios, Christoforou, Ioulios, Copete, José Luis, Fulco, Egidio, Garcia, Jesus T., Javakhishvili, Zura, Kazazou, Anna, Lei, Fumin, Liu, Yang, Paposhvili, Nika, Patchett, Robert, Péter, Áron, Ritter, Raphael, Sándor, Attila D., Schneider, Fabian, Shurulinkov, Petar, Sklyarenko, Sergey, Stumberger, Borut, Tagiyev, Abulfaz, Uboldi, Alessia, Vogiatzis, Nikitas, Taborsak-Lines, Fanny, Gruselius, Joel, Yao, Liqun, Peichel, Catherine L., Suh, Alexander, Gagnaire, Pierre-Alexandre, Kirschel, Alexander N. G., Schweizer, Manuel, Schielzeth, Holger, Burri, Reto
Institutions: University of Bern, Swiss Ornithological Institute, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Stuttgart, University of Cyprus, University of Lausanne, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Baku State University, Dokuz Eylül University, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, TYTO - Association for the Management and Conservation of Biodiversity in Agricultural Ecosystems, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, Ilia State University, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Zoology, Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Sun Yat-sen University, University of St Andrews, University of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Babeș-Bolyai University, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, National Museum of Natural History, Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan, Ministry of Science and Education Republic of Azerbaijan, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Uppsala University, Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, École Pratique des Hautes Études, Université de Montpellier, Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Natural History Museum of Bern, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research
Language: English
Subfield: Cell Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7103894909
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