Repeated genetic adaptation to altitude in two tropical butterflies

Gabriela Montejo-Kovacevich (), Joana I. Meier, Caroline N. Bacquet, Ian A. Warren, Yingguang Frank Chan, Marek Kucka, Camilo Salazar, Nicol Rueda-M, Stephen H. Montgomery, W. Owen McMillan, Krzysztof M. Kozak, Nicola J. Nadeau, Simon H. Martin and Chris D. Jiggins ()
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Gabriela Montejo-Kovacevich: University of Cambridge
Joana I. Meier: University of Cambridge
Caroline N. Bacquet: Universidad Regional Amazónica Ikiam
Ian A. Warren: University of Cambridge
Yingguang Frank Chan: Friedrich Miescher Laboratory of the Max Planck Society
Marek Kucka: Friedrich Miescher Laboratory of the Max Planck Society
Camilo Salazar: Universidad del Rosario
Nicol Rueda-M: Universidad del Rosario
Stephen H. Montgomery: University of Bristol
W. Owen McMillan: Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Krzysztof M. Kozak: Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Nicola J. Nadeau: University of Sheffield
Simon H. Martin: University of Edinburgh
Chris D. Jiggins: University of Cambridge

Nature Communications, 2022, vol. 13, issue 1, 1-16

Abstract: Abstract Repeated evolution can provide insight into the mechanisms that facilitate adaptation to novel or changing environments. Here we study adaptation to altitude in two tropical butterflies, Heliconius erato and H. melpomene, which have repeatedly and independently adapted to montane habitats on either side of the Andes. We sequenced 518 whole genomes from altitudinal transects and found many regions differentiated between highland (~ 1200 m) and lowland (~ 200 m) populations. We show repeated genetic differentiation across replicate populations within species, including allopatric comparisons. In contrast, there is little molecular parallelism between the two species. By sampling five close relatives, we find that a large proportion of divergent regions identified within species have arisen from standing variation and putative adaptive introgression from high-altitude specialist species. Taken together our study supports a role for both standing genetic variation and gene flow from independently adapted species in promoting parallel local adaptation to the environment.

Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32316-x

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