Biology subjects

Dinca, V.

Publications and source records attributed to Dinca, V..

5 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Phylogeography and diversification of the Pieris napi species group in the Western Palaearctic

The butterflies of the Pieris napi complex, encompassing diverse taxa across Europe, Asia and North Africa, represent an emergent model system for studying climatic adaptation. In this study, we use genomic data for this group to address phylogenetic relationships, population structure and ecological differentiation in the Western Palearctic. Our results reveal two main groups: the napi clade and the bryoniae-balcana clade. We clarify the status and show that the distribution of the debated species P. balcana extends to south Romania and the Peloponnese. This species is shown to be sister to P. bryoniae, which indicates that melanism is an evolutionarily labile trait linked to climatic adaptation. The P. napi clade is divided into three components, each predominating in a different south European peninsula, and the boreal P. n. adalwinda, which is notably differentiated. The endangered Moroccan taxon segonzaci produced conflicting results, probably due to low-quality DNA. Admixture analyses suggest substantial gene flow between taxa in contact areas. Redundancy analyses identify summer temperature and precipitation as key drivers of adaptive genetic variation within the group. This work provides a robust evolutionary framework for future ecological studies of the Pieris napi complex, to forecast eco-evolutionary responses and to address conservation priorities in a rapidly changing climate.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2023

A macroevolutionary role for chromosomal fusion and fission in Erebia butterflies

The impact of large-scale chromosomal rearrangements, such as fusions and fissions, on speciation is a long-standing conundrum. We assessed whether bursts of change in chromosome numbers resulting from chromosomal fusion and fission are related to increased speciation rates in Erebia, one of the most species-rich and karyotypically variable butterfly groups. We established a genome-based phylogeny and employed state-dependent birth-death models to infer trajectories of karyotype evolution across this genus. We demonstrated that rates of anagenetic chromosomal changes (i.e. along phylogenetic branches) exceed cladogenetic changes (i. e. at speciation events), but when cladogenetic changes occur, they are mostly associated with chromosomal fissions rather than fusions. Moreover, we found that the relative importance of fusion and fission differs among Erebia clades of different ages, where especially in younger, more karyotypically diverse clades, speciation is more frequently associated with chromosomal changes. Overall, our results imply that chromosomal fusions and fissions have contrasting macroevolutionary roles and that large-scale chromosomal rearrangements are associated with bursts of species diversification.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2021

The genome sequence of the lesser marbled fritillary, Brenthis ino, and evidence for a segregating neo-Z chromosome

The lesser marbled fritillary, Brenthis ino (Rottemburg, 1775), is a species of Palearctic butterfly. Male B. ino individuals have been reported to have between 12 and 14 pairs of chromosomes, a much reduced chromosome number than is typical in butterflies. Here we present a chromosome-level genome assembly for B. ino, as well as gene and transposable element annotations. The assembly is 411.8 Mb in span with contig and scaffold N50s of 9.6 and 29.5 Mb respectively. We also show evidence that the male individual from which we generated HiC data was heterozygous for a neo-Z chromosome, consistent with inheriting 14 chromosomes from one parent and 13 from the other. This genome assembly will be a valuable resource for studying chromosome evolution in Lepidoptera, as well as for comparative and population genomics more generally.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2020

The Pleistocene species pump past its prime: evidence from European butterfly sister species

The Pleistocene glacial cycles had a profound impact on the ranges and genetic make-up of organisms. Whilst it is clear that the contact zones that have been described for many sister taxa are secondary and have formed during the last interglacial, it is unclear when the taxa involved began to diverge. Previous estimates based on small numbers of loci are unreliable given the stochasticity of genetic drift and the contrasting effects of incomplete lineage sorting and gene flow on gene divergence. Here we use genome-wide transcriptome data to estimate divergence for 18 sister species pairs of European butterflies showing either sympatric or contact zone distributions. We find that in most cases species divergence predates the mid-Pleistocene transition or even the entire Pleistocene period. We also show that although post divergence gene flow is restricted to contact zone pairs, they are not systematically younger than sympatric pairs. This suggests that contact zones are not limited to the embryonic stages of the speciation process, but can involve notably old taxa. Finally, we show that mitochondrial and nuclear divergence are only weakly correlated and mitochondrial divergence is higher for contact-zone pairs. This suggests a possible role of selective sweeps affecting mitochondrial variation in maintaining contact zones. Impact SummaryThe influence of the Pleistocene glacial cycles on structuring species and genetic diversity in temperate taxa has permeated biogeographic and phylogeographic thinking for decades. Although phylogeographic studies have repeatedly claimed that the Pleistocene acted as a species pump, systematic tests of this idea based on robust estimates of species divergence are lacking. Here we estimate divergence times for all sister species pairs of European butterfly using genome-wide transcriptome data. We find that most species pairs are substantially older than the onset of Pleistocene glacial cycling. We also show that post divergence gene flow is restricted to pairs that form contact-zones. However, in contrast to expectations under a null model of allopatric speciation contract zone pairs are not necessarily younger than sympatric pairs.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2018

Global invasion history of the world’s most abundant pest butterfly: a citizen science population genomics study

A major goal of invasion and climate change biology research is to understand the ecological and evolutionary responses of organisms to anthropogenic disturbance, especially over large spatial and temporal scales. One significant, and sometimes unattainable, challenge of these studies is garnering sufficient numbers of relevant specimens, especially for species spread across multiple continents. We developed a citizen science project, \"Pieris Project\", to successfully amass thousands of specimens of the invasive agricultural pest Pieris rapae, the small cabbage white butterfly, from 32 countries worldwide. We then generated and analyzed genomic (ddRAD) and mitochondrial DNA sequence data for these samples to reconstruct and compare different global invasion history scenarios. Our results bolster historical accounts of the global spread and timing of P. rapae introductions. The spread of P. rapae over the last [~]160 years followed a linear series of at least four founding events, with each introduced population serving as the source for the next. We provide the first molecular evidence supporting the hypothesis that the ongoing divergence of the European and Asian subspecies of P. rapae ([~]1,200 yrBP) coincides with the domestication of brassicaceous crops. Finally, the international success of the Pieris Project allowed us to nearly double the geographic scope of our sampling (i.e., add >1,000 specimens from 13 countries), demonstrating the power of the public to aid scientists in collections-based research addressing important questions in ecology and evolutionary biology.\n\nNon-technical summaryWe provide genetic evidence that the success of the small cabbage white butterfly--its rise to one of the most widespread and abundant butterflies on the planet-- was largely facilitated by human activities, through the domestication of its food plants and the accidental movement of the butterfly by means of trade and human movement (migration). Through an international citizen science project--Pieris Project--people from around the world helped to unravel the global invasion history of this agricultural pest butterfly by collecting samples for DNA analysis. The success of this citizen science project demonstrates the power of the public to aid in collections-based research that address important questions related to ecology and evolutionary biology.

evolutionary biology↗