Biology subjects

Corval, H.

Publications and source records attributed to Corval, H..

2 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

A chromosome-level, haplotype-resolved genome assembly for the barn owl, Tyto alba

Recent advances in long-read sequencing have enabled near telomere-to-telomere (T2T) assemblies across diverse taxa. However, avian genomes remain challenging due to numerous microchromosomes, small, typically < 20Mb, elements that are gene-, GC-, and repeat-rich. As a consequence, microchromosomes are often missing from genome assemblies. Here, we present a chromosome-level, haplotype-resolved genome assembly for the Western barn owl (Tyto alba). Using a trio-binning strategy with Illumina parental reads combined with PacBio HiFi and Oxford Nanopore Technologies data, we generated two phased contig sets. These were scaffolded into 40 linkage groups using a linkage map. Comparative analyses identified unplaced HiFi scaffolds corresponding to microchromosomes, which we integrated into six additional microchromosomes using long reads information. The two assemblies present 46 chromosomes, matching the karyotype of the species. They exhibit strong synteny between parental haplotypes, except for a [~]38 Mb complex region on chromosome 7 containing nested inversions. This high-quality reference provides the first haplotype-resolved and chromosome-level genome for Strigiformes, enabling fine-scale studies of structural variation and avian genome evolution.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2023

Where and when local adaptation happens: lessons from the European barn owl (Tyto alba)

Although local adaptation influences species distributions, its role in driving evolutionary resilience under climate change remains unclear. Current predictive models focus on genetic adaptation to present climates, providing limited insight into future adaptive capacity. We hypothesise that historical responses to climatic shifts can reveal future adaptive potential. Combining ecological niche modelling and genomic analyses, we investigated spatiotemporal patterns and mechanisms of local adaptation of the Western Palearctic barn owl (Tyto alba). Ecological modelling revealed that barn owls now occupy a broader climatic niche than during the Last Glacial Maximum. Genomic analyses indicated ongoing adaptation, with regions under selection linked to environmental factors across all populations. Our findings demonstrate that local adaptation drives evolutionary changes across populations, enabling colonisation of new habitats and shaping responses to climate change in resident populations. We demonstrate that standing genetic diversity plays a crucial role in adaptation to past, present, and future environmental shifts.

evolutionary biology↗