Department of Evolutionary Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, Uppsala SE-752 36, Sweden.
Centre for GeoGenetics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Øster Volgade 5-7, Copenhagen K 1350, Denmark.
Nat Commun. 2016 May 31;7:11693. doi: 10.1038/ncomms11693.
Analysing population genomic data from killer whale ecotypes, which we estimate have globally radiated within less than 250,000 years, we show that genetic structuring including the segregation of potentially functional alleles is associated with socially inherited ecological niche. Reconstruction of ancestral demographic history revealed bottlenecks during founder events, likely promoting ecological divergence and genetic drift resulting in a wide range of genome-wide differentiation between pairs of allopatric and sympatric ecotypes. Functional enrichment analyses provided evidence for regional genomic divergence associated with habitat, dietary preferences and post-zygotic reproductive isolation. Our findings are consistent with expansion of small founder groups into novel niches by an initial plastic behavioural response, perpetuated by social learning imposing an altered natural selection regime. The study constitutes an important step towards an understanding of the complex interaction between demographic history, culture, ecological adaptation and evolution at the genomic level.
分析来自虎鲸生态型的群体基因组数据，我们估计这些生态型在不到 25 万年的时间内在全球范围内辐射，我们表明包括潜在功能等位基因分离的遗传结构与社会继承的生态位有关。对祖先种群历史的重建揭示了创始事件期间的瓶颈，可能促进了生态分歧和遗传漂变，导致了广泛的全基因组分化在所有地理和共生生态型之间。功能富集分析为与栖息地、饮食偏好和合子后生殖隔离相关的区域基因组分化提供了证据。我们的研究结果与通过初始的可塑性行为反应，由社会学习施加改变的自然选择模式来延续的小创始群体向新生态位扩张的情况一致。这项研究是朝着理解人口历史、文化、生态适应和基因组水平上的进化之间复杂相互作用迈出的重要一步。
