Supergenes promote ecological stasis in a keystone species

Article Multidisciplinary Sciences

Stabilizing selection on Atlantic cod supergenes through a millennium of extensive exploitation

Marte Sodeland et al.

Summary: Life on Earth has experienced cycles of ecological stasis and disruption, linking biological and geological transitions. Human influences have caused increasing ecological disruption, leading some to argue that we are now in the Anthropocene era. Understanding the drivers of ecological stasis is crucial for intervention and mitigation. The Atlantic cod, a keystone species in the northern Atlantic Ocean, has experienced collapses and ecosystem reshuffling. Whole-genome resequencing revealed that stabilizing selection maintains three supergenes in Atlantic cod, which are linked to species persistence and ecological stasis. Historic population size inference indicates continued declines due to industrialization and commercialization of fisheries.

PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (2022)

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Article Ecology

Supergene origin and maintenance in Atlantic cod

Michael Matschiner et al.

Summary: This study investigates the origin and evolution of four megabase-scale supergenes in Atlantic cod. The results show that these supergenes are formed through chromosomal inversions at different time points. Furthermore, gene conversion and double crossover play important roles in the maintenance and evolution of supergenes.

NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION (2022)

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Article Genetics & Heredity

Deleterious mutation accumulation and the long-term fate of chromosomal inversions

Emma L. Berdan et al.

Summary: Chromosomal inversions, segments of chromosomes that are flipped relative to normal orientation, can facilitate evolutionary processes like adaptation and speciation. Inverted regions with reduced recombination allow for beneficial allele combinations, influencing the evolution of the allelic content inside them. Accumulation of deleterious mutations in inverted regions can lead to divergence between arrangements and offer a selective advantage for individuals with heterozygous arrangements, maintaining inversion polymorphism in the population.

PLOS GENETICS (2021)

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Article Multidisciplinary Sciences

Genomic stability through time despite decades of in cod on both sides of the Atlantic

Malin L. Pinsky et al.

Summary: This study compared whole-genome sequence data of Atlantic cod from two geographically distinct populations and found that genetic diversity did not substantially decline and effective population sizes remained high after periods of intensive exploitation and rapid decline. The research suggests that phenotypic change in these populations is not constrained by irreversible loss of genomic variation.

PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (2021)

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Editorial Material Biochemistry & Molecular Biology