On the origin of species: insights from the ecological genomics of lake whitefish
Publication Date
2010
Journal or Book Title
Philosophical Transactions Of The Royal Society B-biological Sciences
Abstract
In contrast to the large amount of ecological information supporting the role of natural selection as a main cause of population divergence and speciation, an understanding of the genomic basis underlying those processes is in its infancy. In this paper, we review the main findings of a long-term research programme that we have been conducting on the ecological genomics of sympatric forms of whitefish (Coregonus spp.) engaged in the process of speciation. We present this system as an example of how applying a combination of approaches under the conceptual framework of the theory of adaptive radiation has yielded substantial insight into evolutionary processes in a non-model species. We also discuss how the joint use of recent biotechnological developments will provide a powerful means to address issues raised by observations made to date. Namely, we present data illustrating the potential offered by combining next generation sequencing technologies with other genomic approaches to reveal the genomic bases of adaptive divergence and reproductive isolation. Given increasing access to these new genomic tools, we argue that non-model species studied in their ecological context such as whitefish will play an increasingly important role in generalizing knowledge of speciation.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2009.0274
Volume
365
Issue
1547
Pages
1783-1800
Recommended Citation
Bernatchez, L; Renaut, S; Whiteley, AR; Derome, N; Jeukens, J; Landry, L; Lu, GQ; Nolte, AW; Ostbye, K; Rogers, SM; and St-Cyr, J, "On the origin of species: insights from the ecological genomics of lake whitefish" (2010). Philosophical Transactions Of The Royal Society B-biological Sciences. 364.
https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2009.0274