@article{20102, abstract = {Speciation is rarely observable directly. A way forward is to compare pairs of ecotypes that evolved in parallel in similar contexts but have reached different degrees of reproductive isolation. Such comparisons are possible in the marine snail Littorina saxatilis by contrasting barriers to gene flow between parallel ecotypes in Spain and Sweden. In both countries, divergent ecotypes have evolved to withstand either crab predation or wave action. Here, we explore transects spanning contact zones between the Crab and the Wave ecotypes using low-coverage whole-genome sequencing, morphological and behavioural traits. Despite parallel phenotypic divergence, distinct patterns of differentiation between the ecotypes emerged: a continuous cline in Sweden indicating a weak barrier to gene flow, but two highly genetically and phenotypically divergent, and partly spatially overlapping clusters in Spain suggesting a much stronger barrier to gene flow. The absence of Spanish early-generation hybrids supported strong isolation, but a low level of gene flow is evident from molecular data. In both countries, highly differentiated loci were located in both shared and country-specific chromosomal inversions but were also present in collinear regions. Despite being considered the same species and showing similar levels of phenotypic divergence, the Spanish ecotypes are much closer to full reproductive isolation than the Swedish ones. Barriers to gene flow of very different strengths between ecotypes within the same species might be explained by dissimilarities in the spatial arrangement of habitats, the selection gradients or the ages of the systems.}, author = {Raffini, Francesca and De Jode, Aurélien and Johannesson, Kerstin and Faria, Rui and Zagrodzka, Zuzanna B. and Westram, Anja M and Galindo, Juan and Rolán-Alvarez, Emilio and Butlin, Roger K.}, issn = {1365-294X}, journal = {Molecular Ecology}, number = {21}, publisher = {Wiley}, title = {{Phenotypic divergence and genomic architecture between parallel ecotypes at two different points on the speciation continuum in a marine snail}}, doi = {10.1111/mec.70025}, volume = {34}, year = {2025}, } @article{19438, abstract = {Polymorphic short insertions and deletions (INDELs 50 bp) are abundant, although less common than single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Evidence from model organisms shows INDELs to be more strongly influenced by purifying selection than SNPs. Partly for this reason, INDELs are rarely used as markers for demographic processes or to detect divergent selection. Here, we compared INDELs and SNPs in the intertidal snail Littorina saxatilis, focussing on hybrid zones between ecotypes, in order to test the utility of INDELs in the detection of divergent selection. We computed INDEL and SNP site frequency spectra using capture sequencing data. We assessed the impact of divergent selection by analyzing allele frequency clines across habitat boundaries. We also examined the influence of GC-biased gene conversion because it may be confounded with signatures of selection. We show evidence that short INDELs are affected more by purifying selection than SNPs, but part of the observed site frequency spectra difference can be attributed to GC-biased gene conversion. We did not find a difference in the impact of divergent selection between short INDELs and SNPs. Short INDELs and SNPs were similarly distributed across the genome and so are likely to respond to indirect selection in the same way. A few regions likely affected by divergent selection were revealed by INDELs and not by SNPs. Short INDELs can be useful (additional) genetic markers helping to identify genomic regions important for adaptation and population divergence.}, author = {Perini, Samuel and Johannesson, Kerstin and Butlin, Roger K. and Westram, Anja M}, issn = {1420-9101}, journal = {Journal of Evolutionary Biology}, number = {3}, pages = {367--378}, publisher = {Oxford University Press}, title = {{Short INDELs and SNPs as markers of evolutionary processes in hybrid zones}}, doi = {10.1093/jeb/voaf002}, volume = {38}, year = {2025}, } @article{15099, abstract = {Speciation is a key evolutionary process that is not yet fully understood. Combining population genomic and ecological data from multiple diverging pairs of marine snails (Littorina) supports the search for speciation mechanisms. Placing pairs on a one-dimensional speciation continuum, from undifferentiated populations to species, obscured the complexity of speciation. Adding multiple axes helped to describe either speciation routes or reproductive isolation in the snails. Divergent ecological selection repeatedly generated barriers between ecotypes, but appeared less important in completing speciation while genetic incompatibilities played a key role. Chromosomal inversions contributed to genomic barriers, but with variable impact. A multidimensional (hypercube) approach supported framing of questions and identification of knowledge gaps and can be useful to understand speciation in many other systems.}, author = {Johannesson, Kerstin and Faria, Rui and Le Moan, Alan and Rafajlović, Marina and Westram, Anja M and Butlin, Roger K. and Stankowski, Sean}, issn = {1362-4555}, journal = {Trends in Genetics}, number = {4}, pages = {337--351}, publisher = {Elsevier}, title = {{Diverse pathways to speciation revealed by marine snails}}, doi = {10.1016/j.tig.2024.01.002}, volume = {40}, year = {2024}, } @article{18491, abstract = {Predicting the outcomes of adaptation is a major goal of evolutionary biology. When temporal changes in the environment mirror spatial gradients, it opens up the potential for predicting the course of adaptive evolution over time based on patterns of spatial genetic and phenotypic variation. We assessed this approach in a 30-year transplant experiment in the intertidal snail Littorina saxatilis. In 1992, snails were transplanted from a predation-dominated environment to one dominated by wave action. On the basis of spatial patterns, we predicted transitions in shell size and morphology, allele frequencies at positions throughout the genome, and chromosomal rearrangement frequencies. Observed changes closely agreed with predictions and transformation was both dramatic and rapid. Hence, adaptation can be predicted from knowledge of the phenotypic and genetic variation among populations.}, author = {Garcia Castillo, Diego Fernando and Barton, Nicholas H and Faria, Rui and Larsson, Jenny and Stankowski, Sean and Butlin, Roger and Johannesson, Kerstin and Westram, Anja M}, issn = {2375-2548}, journal = {Science Advances}, number = {41}, publisher = {AAAS}, title = {{Predicting rapid adaptation in time from adaptation in space: A 30-year field experiment in marine snails}}, doi = {10.1126/sciadv.adp2102}, volume = {10}, year = {2024}, } @misc{18498, abstract = {Scripts and data used in the research study Predicting rapid adaptation in time from adaptation in space: a 30-year field experiment in marine snails. https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.09.27.559715}, author = {Garcia Castillo, Diego Fernando and Barton, Nicholas H and Faria, Rui and Larsson, Jenny and Stankowski, Sean and Butlin, Roger and Johannesson, Kerstin and Westram, Anja M}, publisher = {Zenodo}, title = {{Data and code for: Predicting rapid adaptation in time from adaptation in space: a 30-year field experiment in marine snails}}, doi = {10.5281/ZENODO.12159343}, year = {2024}, } @article{14796, abstract = {Key innovations are fundamental to biological diversification, but their genetic basis is poorly understood. A recent transition from egg-laying to live-bearing in marine snails (Littorina spp.) provides the opportunity to study the genetic architecture of an innovation that has evolved repeatedly across animals. Individuals do not cluster by reproductive mode in a genome-wide phylogeny, but local genealogical analysis revealed numerous small genomic regions where all live-bearers carry the same core haplotype. Candidate regions show evidence for live-bearer–specific positive selection and are enriched for genes that are differentially expressed between egg-laying and live-bearing reproductive systems. Ages of selective sweeps suggest that live-bearer–specific alleles accumulated over more than 200,000 generations. Our results suggest that new functions evolve through the recruitment of many alleles rather than in a single evolutionary step.}, author = {Stankowski, Sean and Zagrodzka, Zuzanna B. and Garlovsky, Martin D. and Pal, Arka and Shipilina, Daria and Garcia Castillo, Diego Fernando and Lifchitz, Hila and Le Moan, Alan and Leder, Erica and Reeve, James and Johannesson, Kerstin and Westram, Anja M and Butlin, Roger K.}, issn = {1095-9203}, journal = {Science}, number = {6678}, pages = {114--119}, publisher = {American Association for the Advancement of Science}, title = {{The genetic basis of a recent transition to live-bearing in marine snails}}, doi = {10.1126/science.adi2982}, volume = {383}, year = {2024}, } @article{11479, abstract = {Understanding population divergence that eventually leads to speciation is essential for evolutionary biology. High species diversity in the sea was regarded as a paradox when strict allopatry was considered necessary for most speciation events because geographical barriers seemed largely absent in the sea, and many marine species have high dispersal capacities. Combining genome-wide data with demographic modelling to infer the demographic history of divergence has introduced new ways to address this classical issue. These models assume an ancestral population that splits into two subpopulations diverging according to different scenarios that allow tests for periods of gene flow. Models can also test for heterogeneities in population sizes and migration rates along the genome to account, respectively, for background selection and selection against introgressed ancestry. To investigate how barriers to gene flow arise in the sea, we compiled studies modelling the demographic history of divergence in marine organisms and extracted preferred demographic scenarios together with estimates of demographic parameters. These studies show that geographical barriers to gene flow do exist in the sea but that divergence can also occur without strict isolation. Heterogeneity of gene flow was detected in most population pairs suggesting the predominance of semipermeable barriers during divergence. We found a weak positive relationship between the fraction of the genome experiencing reduced gene flow and levels of genome-wide differentiation. Furthermore, we found that the upper bound of the ‘grey zone of speciation’ for our dataset extended beyond that found before, implying that gene flow between diverging taxa is possible at higher levels of divergence than previously thought. Finally, we list recommendations for further strengthening the use of demographic modelling in speciation research. These include a more balanced representation of taxa, more consistent and comprehensive modelling, clear reporting of results and simulation studies to rule out nonbiological explanations for general results.}, author = {De Jode, Aurélien and Le Moan, Alan and Johannesson, Kerstin and Faria, Rui and Stankowski, Sean and Westram, Anja M and Butlin, Roger K. and Rafajlović, Marina and Fraisse, Christelle}, issn = {1752-4571}, journal = {Evolutionary Applications}, number = {2}, pages = {542--559}, publisher = {Wiley}, title = {{Ten years of demographic modelling of divergence and speciation in the sea}}, doi = {10.1111/eva.13428}, volume = {16}, year = {2023}, } @article{12166, abstract = {Kerstin Johannesson is a marine ecologist and evolutionary biologist based at the Tjärnö Marine Laboratory of the University of Gothenburg, which is situated in the beautiful Kosterhavet National Park on the Swedish west coast. Her work, using marine periwinkles (especially Littorina saxatilis and L. fabalis) as main model systems, has made a remarkable contribution to marine evolutionary biology and our understanding of local adaptation and its genetic underpinnings.}, author = {Westram, Anja M and Butlin, Roger}, issn = {1365-294X}, journal = {Molecular Ecology}, keywords = {Genetics, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics}, number = {1}, pages = {26--29}, publisher = {Wiley}, title = {{Professor Kerstin Johannesson–winner of the 2022 Molecular Ecology Prize}}, doi = {10.1111/mec.16779}, volume = {32}, year = {2023}, } @article{14556, abstract = {Inversions are structural mutations that reverse the sequence of a chromosome segment and reduce the effective rate of recombination in the heterozygous state. They play a major role in adaptation, as well as in other evolutionary processes such as speciation. Although inversions have been studied since the 1920s, they remain difficult to investigate because the reduced recombination conferred by them strengthens the effects of drift and hitchhiking, which in turn can obscure signatures of selection. Nonetheless, numerous inversions have been found to be under selection. Given recent advances in population genetic theory and empirical study, here we review how different mechanisms of selection affect the evolution of inversions. A key difference between inversions and other mutations, such as single nucleotide variants, is that the fitness of an inversion may be affected by a larger number of frequently interacting processes. This considerably complicates the analysis of the causes underlying the evolution of inversions. We discuss the extent to which these mechanisms can be disentangled, and by which approach.}, author = {Berdan, Emma L. and Barton, Nicholas H and Butlin, Roger and Charlesworth, Brian and Faria, Rui and Fragata, Inês and Gilbert, Kimberly J. and Jay, Paul and Kapun, Martin and Lotterhos, Katie E. and Mérot, Claire and Durmaz Mitchell, Esra and Pascual, Marta and Peichel, Catherine L. and Rafajlović, Marina and Westram, Anja M and Schaeffer, Stephen W. and Johannesson, Kerstin and Flatt, Thomas}, issn = {1420-9101}, journal = {Journal of Evolutionary Biology}, number = {12}, publisher = {Wiley}, title = {{How chromosomal inversions reorient the evolutionary process}}, doi = {10.1111/jeb.14242}, volume = {36}, year = {2023}, } @article{14742, abstract = {Chromosomal rearrangements (CRs) have been known since almost the beginning of genetics. While an important role for CRs in speciation has been suggested, evidence primarily stems from theoretical and empirical studies focusing on the microevolutionary level (i.e., on taxon pairs where speciation is often incomplete). Although the role of CRs in eukaryotic speciation at a macroevolutionary level has been supported by associations between species diversity and rates of evolution of CRs across phylogenies, these findings are limited to a restricted range of CRs and taxa. Now that more broadly applicable and precise CR detection approaches have become available, we address the challenges in filling some of the conceptual and empirical gaps between micro- and macroevolutionary studies on the role of CRs in speciation. We synthesize what is known about the macroevolutionary impact of CRs and suggest new research avenues to overcome the pitfalls of previous studies to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the evolutionary significance of CRs in speciation across the tree of life.}, author = {Lucek, Kay and Giménez, Mabel D. and Joron, Mathieu and Rafajlović, Marina and Searle, Jeremy B. and Walden, Nora and Westram, Anja M and Faria, Rui}, issn = {1943-0264}, journal = {Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology}, keywords = {General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology}, number = {11}, publisher = {Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press}, title = {{The impact of chromosomal rearrangements in speciation: From micro- to macroevolution}}, doi = {10.1101/cshperspect.a041447}, volume = {15}, year = {2023}, } @article{14833, abstract = {Understanding the factors that have shaped the current distributions and diversity of species is a central and longstanding aim of evolutionary biology. The recent inclusion of genomic data into phylogeographic studies has dramatically improved our understanding in organisms where evolutionary relationships have been challenging to infer. We used whole-genome sequences to study the phylogeography of the intertidal snail Littorina saxatilis, which has successfully colonized and diversified across a broad range of coastal environments in the Northern Hemisphere amid repeated cycles of glaciation. Building on past studies based on short DNA sequences, we used genome-wide data to provide a clearer picture of the relationships among samples spanning most of the species natural range. Our results confirm the trans-Atlantic colonization of North America from Europe, and have allowed us to identify rough locations of glacial refugia and to infer likely routes of colonization within Europe. We also investigated the signals in different datasets to account for the effects of genomic architecture and non-neutral evolution, which provides new insights about diversification of four ecotypes of L. saxatilis (the crab, wave, barnacle, and brackish ecotypes) at different spatial scales. Overall, we provide a much clearer picture of the biogeography of L. saxatilis, providing a foundation for more detailed phylogenomic and demographic studies.}, author = {Stankowski, Sean and Zagrodzka, Zuzanna B and Galindo, Juan and Montaño-Rendón, Mauricio and Faria, Rui and Mikhailova, Natalia and Blakeslee, April M H and Arnason, Einar and Broquet, Thomas and Morales, Hernán E and Grahame, John W and Westram, Anja M and Johannesson, Kerstin and Butlin, Roger K}, issn = {2752-938X}, journal = {Evolutionary Journal of the Linnean Society}, number = {1}, publisher = {Oxford University Press}, title = {{Whole-genome phylogeography of the intertidal snail Littorina saxatilis}}, doi = {10.1093/evolinnean/kzad002}, volume = {2}, year = {2023}, } @article{11546, abstract = {Local adaptation leads to differences between populations within a species. In many systems, similar environmental contrasts occur repeatedly, sometimes driving parallel phenotypic evolution. Understanding the genomic basis of local adaptation and parallel evolution is a major goal of evolutionary genomics. It is now known that by preventing the break-up of favourable combinations of alleles across multiple loci, genetic architectures that reduce recombination, like chromosomal inversions, can make an important contribution to local adaptation. However, little is known about whether inversions also contribute disproportionately to parallel evolution. Our aim here is to highlight this knowledge gap, to showcase existing studies, and to illustrate the differences between genomic architectures with and without inversions using simple models. We predict that by generating stronger effective selection, inversions can sometimes speed up the parallel adaptive process or enable parallel adaptation where it would be impossible otherwise, but this is highly dependent on the spatial setting. We highlight that further empirical work is needed, in particular to cover a broader taxonomic range and to understand the relative importance of inversions compared to genomic regions without inversions.}, author = {Westram, Anja M and Faria, Rui and Johannesson, Kerstin and Butlin, Roger and Barton, Nicholas H}, issn = {1471-2970}, journal = {Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences}, keywords = {General Agricultural and Biological Sciences, General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology}, number = {1856}, publisher = {Royal Society of London}, title = {{Inversions and parallel evolution}}, doi = {10.1098/rstb.2021.0203}, volume = {377}, year = {2022}, } @article{12001, abstract = {Sexual antagonism is a common hypothesis for driving the evolution of sex chromosomes, whereby recombination suppression is favored between sexually antagonistic loci and the sex-determining locus to maintain beneficial combinations of alleles. This results in the formation of a sex-determining region. Chromosomal inversions may contribute to recombination suppression but their precise role in sex chromosome evolution remains unclear. Because local adaptation is frequently facilitated through the suppression of recombination between adaptive loci by chromosomal inversions, there is potential for inversions that cover sex-determining regions to be involved in local adaptation as well, particularly if habitat variation creates environment-dependent sexual antagonism. With these processes in mind, we investigated sex determination in a well-studied example of local adaptation within a species: the intertidal snail, Littorina saxatilis. Using SNP data from a Swedish hybrid zone, we find novel evidence for a female-heterogametic sex determination system that is restricted to one ecotype. Our results suggest that four putative chromosomal inversions, two previously described and two newly discovered, span the putative sex chromosome pair. We determine their differing associations with sex, which suggest distinct strata of differing ages. The same inversions are found in the second ecotype but do not show any sex association. The striking disparity in inversion-sex associations between ecotypes that are connected by gene flow across a habitat transition that is just a few meters wide indicates a difference in selective regime that has produced a distinct barrier to the spread of the newly discovered sex-determining region between ecotypes. Such sex chromosome-environment interactions have not previously been uncovered in L. saxatilis and are known in few other organisms. A combination of both sex-specific selection and divergent natural selection is required to explain these highly unusual patterns.}, author = {Hearn, Katherine E. and Koch, Eva L. and Stankowski, Sean and Butlin, Roger K. and Faria, Rui and Johannesson, Kerstin and Westram, Anja M}, issn = {2056-3744}, journal = {Evolution Letters}, number = {5}, pages = {358--374}, publisher = {Oxford University Press}, title = {{Differing associations between sex determination and sex-linked inversions in two ecotypes of Littorina saxatilis}}, doi = {10.1002/evl3.295}, volume = {6}, year = {2022}, } @article{12247, abstract = {Chromosomal inversions have been shown to play a major role in a local adaptation by suppressing recombination between alternative arrangements and maintaining beneficial allele combinations. However, so far, their importance relative to the remaining genome remains largely unknown. Understanding the genetic architecture of adaptation requires better estimates of how loci of different effect sizes contribute to phenotypic variation. Here, we used three Swedish islands where the marine snail Littorina saxatilis has repeatedly evolved into two distinct ecotypes along a habitat transition. We estimated the contribution of inversion polymorphisms to phenotypic divergence while controlling for polygenic effects in the remaining genome using a quantitative genetics framework. We confirmed the importance of inversions but showed that contributions of loci outside inversions are of similar magnitude, with variable proportions dependent on the trait and the population. Some inversions showed consistent effects across all sites, whereas others exhibited site-specific effects, indicating that the genomic basis for replicated phenotypic divergence is only partly shared. The contributions of sexual dimorphism as well as environmental factors to phenotypic variation were significant but minor compared to inversions and polygenic background. Overall, this integrated approach provides insight into the multiple mechanisms contributing to parallel phenotypic divergence.}, author = {Koch, Eva L. and Ravinet, Mark and Westram, Anja M and Johannesson, Kerstin and Butlin, Roger K.}, issn = {1558-5646}, journal = {Evolution}, keywords = {General Agricultural and Biological Sciences, Genetics, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics}, number = {10}, pages = {2332--2346}, publisher = {Wiley}, title = {{Genetic architecture of repeated phenotypic divergence in Littorina saxatilis evolution}}, doi = {10.1111/evo.14602}, volume = {76}, year = {2022}, } @article{12264, abstract = {Reproductive isolation (RI) is a core concept in evolutionary biology. It has been the central focus of speciation research since the modern synthesis and is the basis by which biological species are defined. Despite this, the term is used in seemingly different ways, and attempts to quantify RI have used very different approaches. After showing that the field lacks a clear definition of the term, we attempt to clarify key issues, including what RI is, how it can be quantified in principle, and how it can be measured in practice. Following other definitions with a genetic focus, we propose that RI is a quantitative measure of the effect that genetic differences between populations have on gene flow. Specifically, RI compares the flow of neutral alleles in the presence of these genetic differences to the flow without any such differences. RI is thus greater than zero when genetic differences between populations reduce the flow of neutral alleles between populations. We show how RI can be quantified in a range of scenarios. A key conclusion is that RI depends strongly on circumstances—including the spatial, temporal and genomic context—making it difficult to compare across systems. After reviewing methods for estimating RI from data, we conclude that it is difficult to measure in practice. We discuss our findings in light of the goals of speciation research and encourage the use of methods for estimating RI that integrate organismal and genetic approaches.}, author = {Westram, Anja M and Stankowski, Sean and Surendranadh, Parvathy and Barton, Nicholas H}, issn = {1420-9101}, journal = {Journal of Evolutionary Biology}, keywords = {Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics}, number = {9}, pages = {1143--1164}, publisher = {Wiley}, title = {{What is reproductive isolation?}}, doi = {10.1111/jeb.14005}, volume = {35}, year = {2022}, } @article{12265, author = {Westram, Anja M and Stankowski, Sean and Surendranadh, Parvathy and Barton, Nicholas H}, issn = {1420-9101}, journal = {Journal of Evolutionary Biology}, keywords = {Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics}, number = {9}, pages = {1200--1205}, publisher = {Wiley}, title = {{Reproductive isolation, speciation, and the value of disagreement: A reply to the commentaries on ‘What is reproductive isolation?’}}, doi = {10.1111/jeb.14082}, volume = {35}, year = {2022}, } @misc{13066, abstract = {Chromosomal inversions have been shown to play a major role in local adaptation by suppressing recombination between alternative arrangements and maintaining beneficial allele combinations. However, so far, their importance relative to the remaining genome remains largely unknown. Understanding the genetic architecture of adaptation requires better estimates of how loci of different effect sizes contribute to phenotypic variation. Here, we used three Swedish islands where the marine snail Littorina saxatilis has repeatedly evolved into two distinct ecotypes along a habitat transition. We estimated the contribution of inversion polymorphisms to phenotypic divergence while controlling for polygenic effects in the remaining genome using a quantitative genetics framework. We confirmed the importance of inversions but showed that contributions of loci outside inversions are of similar magnitude, with variable proportions dependent on the trait and the population. Some inversions showed consistent effects across all sites, whereas others exhibited site-specific effects, indicating that the genomic basis for replicated phenotypic divergence is only partly shared. The contributions of sexual dimorphism as well as environmental factors to phenotypic variation were significant but minor compared to inversions and polygenic background. Overall, this integrated approach provides insight into the multiple mechanisms contributing to parallel phenotypic divergence.}, author = {Koch, Eva and Ravinet, Mark and Westram, Anja M and Jonannesson, Kerstin and Butlin, Roger}, publisher = {Dryad}, title = {{Data from: Genetic architecture of repeated phenotypic divergence in Littorina saxatilis ecotype evolution}}, doi = {10.5061/DRYAD.M905QFV4B}, year = {2022}, } @article{10926, abstract = {Conflict over reproduction between females and males exists because of anisogamy and promiscuity. Together they generate differences in fitness optima between the sexes and result in antagonistic coevolution of female and male reproductive traits. Mounting duration is likely to be a compromise between male and female interests whose outcome depends on the intensity of sexual selection. The timing of sperm transfer during mounting is critical. For example, mountings may be interrupted before sperm is transferred as a consequence of female or male choice, or they may be prolonged to function as mate guarding. In the highly promiscuous intertidal snail Littorina saxatilis, mountings vary substantially in duration, from less than a minute to more than an hour, and it has been assumed that mountings of a few minutes do not result in any sperm being transferred. Here, we examined the timing of sperm transfer, a reproductive trait that is likely affected by sexual conflict. We performed time-controlled mounting trials using L. saxatilis males and virgin females, aiming to examine indirectly when the transfer of sperm starts. We observed the relationship between mounting duration and the proportion of developing embryos out of all eggs and embryos in the brood pouch. Developing embryos were observed in similar proportions in all treatments (i.e. 1, 5 and 10 or more minutes at which mountings were artificially interrupted), suggesting that sperm transfer begins rapidly (within 1 min) in L. saxatilis and very short matings do not result in sperm shortage in the females. We discuss how the observed pattern can be influenced by predation risk, population density, and female status and receptivity.}, author = {Perini, Samuel and Butlin, Rogerk and Westram, Anja M and Johannesson, Kerstin}, issn = {1464-3766}, journal = {Journal of Molluscan Studies}, number = {1}, publisher = {Oxford University Press}, title = {{Very short mountings are enough for sperm transfer in Littorina saxatilis}}, doi = {10.1093/mollus/eyab049}, volume = {88}, year = {2022}, } @article{11334, abstract = {Hybridization is a common evolutionary process with multiple possible outcomes. In vertebrates, interspecific hybridization has repeatedly generated parthenogenetic hybrid species. However, it is unknown whether the generation of parthenogenetic hybrids is a rare outcome of frequent hybridization between sexual species within a genus or the typical outcome of rare hybridization events. Darevskia is a genus of rock lizards with both hybrid parthenogenetic and sexual species. Using capture sequencing, we estimate phylogenetic relationships and gene flow among the sexual species, to determine how introgressive hybridization relates to the origins of parthenogenetic hybrids. We find evidence for widespread hybridization with gene flow, both between recently diverged species and deep branches. Surprisingly, we find no signal of gene flow between parental species of the parthenogenetic hybrids, suggesting that the parental pairs were either reproductively or geographically isolated early in their divergence. The generation of parthenogenetic hybrids in Darevskia is, then, a rare outcome of the total occurrence of hybridization within the genus, but the typical outcome when specific species pairs hybridize. Our results question the conventional view that parthenogenetic lineages are generated by hybridization in a window of divergence. Instead, they suggest that some lineages possess specific properties that underpin successful parthenogenetic reproduction.}, author = {Freitas, Susana and Westram, Anja M and Schwander, Tanja and Arakelyan, Marine and Ilgaz, Çetin and Kumlutas, Yusuf and Harris, David James and Carretero, Miguel A. and Butlin, Roger K.}, issn = {1558-5646}, journal = {Evolution}, number = {5}, pages = {899--914}, publisher = {Wiley}, title = {{Parthenogenesis in Darevskia lizards: A rare outcome of common hybridization, not a common outcome of rare hybridization}}, doi = {10.1111/evo.14462}, volume = {76}, year = {2022}, } @inbook{14984, abstract = {Hybrid zones are narrow geographic regions where different populations, races or interbreeding species meet and mate, producing mixed ‘hybrid’ offspring. They are relatively common and can be found in a diverse range of organisms and environments. The study of hybrid zones has played an important role in our understanding of the origin of species, with hybrid zones having been described as ‘natural laboratories’. This is because they allow us to study,in situ, the conditions and evolutionary forces that enable divergent taxa to remain distinct despite some ongoing gene exchange between them.}, author = {Stankowski, Sean and Shipilina, Daria and Westram, Anja M}, booktitle = {Encyclopedia of Life Sciences}, isbn = {9780470016176}, publisher = {Wiley}, title = {{Hybrid Zones}}, doi = {10.1002/9780470015902.a0029355}, volume = {2}, year = {2021}, }