Genomic signatures of adaptation in native lizards exposed to human-introduced fire ants
Abstract Understanding the process of genetic adaptation in response to human-mediated ecological change will help elucidate the eco-evolutionary impacts of human activity. In the 1930s red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta) were accidently introduced to the Southeastern USA, where today they a...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55020-4 |
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| author | Braulio A. Assis Alexis P. Sullivan Stephanie Marciniak Christina M. Bergey Vanessa Garcia Zachary A. Szpiech Tracy Langkilde George H. Perry |
| author_facet | Braulio A. Assis Alexis P. Sullivan Stephanie Marciniak Christina M. Bergey Vanessa Garcia Zachary A. Szpiech Tracy Langkilde George H. Perry |
| author_sort | Braulio A. Assis |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Understanding the process of genetic adaptation in response to human-mediated ecological change will help elucidate the eco-evolutionary impacts of human activity. In the 1930s red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta) were accidently introduced to the Southeastern USA, where today they are both venomous predators and toxic prey to native eastern fence lizards (Sceloporus undulatus). Here, we investigate potential lizard adaptation to invasive fire ants by generating whole-genome sequences from 420 lizards across three populations: one with long exposure to fire ants, and two unexposed populations. Signatures of positive selection exclusive to the exposed population overlap immune system, growth factor pathway, and morphological development genes. Among invaded lizards, longer limbs (used to remove stinging ants) are associated with increased survival. We identify alleles associated with longer limbs that are highly differentiated from the unexposed populations, a pattern counter to the pre-invasion latitudinal cline for limb lengths based on museum specimens. While we cannot rule out other environmental differences between populations driving these patterns, these results do constitute plausible genetic adaptations in lizards invaded by fire ants. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7e0d919fab7c4f54ae89ac3972c3feb6 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-7e0d919fab7c4f54ae89ac3972c3feb62025-01-05T12:37:06ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-01-0116111210.1038/s41467-024-55020-4Genomic signatures of adaptation in native lizards exposed to human-introduced fire antsBraulio A. Assis0Alexis P. Sullivan1Stephanie Marciniak2Christina M. Bergey3Vanessa Garcia4Zachary A. Szpiech5Tracy Langkilde6George H. Perry7Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State UniversityDepartment of Biology, The Pennsylvania State UniversityDepartment of Anthropology, The Pennsylvania State UniversityDepartment of Biology, The Pennsylvania State UniversityDepartment of Biology, The Pennsylvania State UniversityDepartment of Biology, The Pennsylvania State UniversityDepartment of Biology, The Pennsylvania State UniversityDepartment of Biology, The Pennsylvania State UniversityAbstract Understanding the process of genetic adaptation in response to human-mediated ecological change will help elucidate the eco-evolutionary impacts of human activity. In the 1930s red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta) were accidently introduced to the Southeastern USA, where today they are both venomous predators and toxic prey to native eastern fence lizards (Sceloporus undulatus). Here, we investigate potential lizard adaptation to invasive fire ants by generating whole-genome sequences from 420 lizards across three populations: one with long exposure to fire ants, and two unexposed populations. Signatures of positive selection exclusive to the exposed population overlap immune system, growth factor pathway, and morphological development genes. Among invaded lizards, longer limbs (used to remove stinging ants) are associated with increased survival. We identify alleles associated with longer limbs that are highly differentiated from the unexposed populations, a pattern counter to the pre-invasion latitudinal cline for limb lengths based on museum specimens. While we cannot rule out other environmental differences between populations driving these patterns, these results do constitute plausible genetic adaptations in lizards invaded by fire ants.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55020-4 |
| spellingShingle | Braulio A. Assis Alexis P. Sullivan Stephanie Marciniak Christina M. Bergey Vanessa Garcia Zachary A. Szpiech Tracy Langkilde George H. Perry Genomic signatures of adaptation in native lizards exposed to human-introduced fire ants Nature Communications |
| title | Genomic signatures of adaptation in native lizards exposed to human-introduced fire ants |
| title_full | Genomic signatures of adaptation in native lizards exposed to human-introduced fire ants |
| title_fullStr | Genomic signatures of adaptation in native lizards exposed to human-introduced fire ants |
| title_full_unstemmed | Genomic signatures of adaptation in native lizards exposed to human-introduced fire ants |
| title_short | Genomic signatures of adaptation in native lizards exposed to human-introduced fire ants |
| title_sort | genomic signatures of adaptation in native lizards exposed to human introduced fire ants |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55020-4 |
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