Excavating ghost footprints and tangled trees from modern genomes

Molecular Ecology
Arne Jacobs, Nina Overgaard Therkildsen

Abstract

Due to pervasive gene flow and admixture, simple bifurcating trees often do not provide an accurate representation of relationships among diverging lineages, but limited resolution in the available genomic data and the spatial distribution of samples has hindered detailed insights regarding the evolutionary and demographic history of many species and populations. In this issue of Molecular Ecology, Foote et al. (2019) combine a powerful sampling design with novel analytical methods adopted from human genetics to describe previously unrecognized patterns of recurrent vicariance and admixture among lineages in the globally distributed killer whale (Orcinus orca). Based on sequence data from modern samples alone, they discover clear signatures of ancient admixture with a now extinct "ghost" lineage, providing one of the first accounts of archaic introgression in a nonhominid species. Coupling a cost-effective sequencing strategy with novel analytical approaches, their paper provides a roadmap for advancing inference of evolutionary history in other nonmodel species, promising exciting times ahead for our field.

References

Nov 24, 2012·Molecular Ecology·C Alex Buerkle, Zachariah Gompert
May 13, 2015·Nature Reviews. Genetics·Fernando RacimoEmilia Huerta-Sánchez
Jun 13, 2018·Current Opinion in Genetics & Development·Michael Dannemann, Fernando Racimo
Sep 19, 2018·PLoS Genetics·Laurits SkovRichard Durbin
May 1, 2019·Nature Ecology & Evolution·Martin KuhlwilmTomas Marques-Bonet

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Citations

Mar 17, 2020·BioEssays : News and Reviews in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology·Emily E PuckettJason Munshi-South

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