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POPULATION GENOMICS

Evolution of cod supergenes

Nature Ecology & Evolution volume 6, pages 355–356 (2022)Cite this article

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Population genomic and phylogenomic analyses of Atlantic cod provide new insights into the origin and maintenance of supergenes and highlight the role of recombination and structural variants.

The maintenance of different complex phenotypes within a population has long puzzled ecologists and evolutionary biologists alike. In recent years, genomics has enabled us to investigate the genetic basis and architecture of these polymorphisms, which is fundamental to understanding how they evolve. A rapidly increasing number of genomic studies have shown that complex polymorphisms are frequently associated with ‘supergenes’, genetic architectures able to maintain a tight association between genetic elements controlling different traits. Writing in Nature Ecology & Evolution, Matschiner et al.1 provide new insights into the origin and maintenance of supergenes in Atlantic cod that are associated with migratory and stationary ecotypes and different adaptations to salinity and temperature across their range.

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Fig. 1: Evolution of supergenes.

References

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  1. Biology Department, University of British Columbia, Okanagan, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada

    Anna Tigano

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  1. Anna Tigano
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Correspondence to Anna Tigano.

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The author declares no competing interests.

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Tigano, A. Evolution of cod supergenes. Nat Ecol Evol 6, 355–356 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-022-01662-w

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-022-01662-w

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