Understanding dispersal potential in climate-sensitive species

本项目旨在研究大尺度冰川后地理再定居过程中气候变化对基因组和人口统计学的影响。这将使我们能够评估先前人口变化的潜在机制，最重要的是，预测气候变化对一个正在减少的物种的人口统计的影响。普通蝰蛇的特点是在陆地蛇类中分布范围最大，它覆盖了欧亚大陆的大部分地区。尽管这一分类单元的特点是低扩散能力和高亲和性，但先前基于mtDNA的研究表明，大约在100万年前发生了一次初始的大陆再殖民事件，随后在更新世中下游冰川旋回期间发生了小规模的殖民事件。虽然，单一地点的使用和空间/气候假设测试框架的缺乏可能提供微弱的支持。该项目利用气候信息空间遗传模型来测试这种殖民化假设。普通加法器复杂多样的生物地理历史使其成为研究频繁范围扩张事件原因的完美对象。来自分布范围内标本的全基因组测序数据将用于确认人口预测和评估基因组区域的选择不足，以评估种群应对未来气候情景的潜力。

This project aims to investigate the genomic and demographic effects ofclimatic changes during large-scale geographic postglacial recolonisationusing V. berus as a study model. This will allow us to assess the mechanismsunderlying previous demographic changes, and most importantly, to predictthe effect of climate change on the population demography of a decliningspecies. The common adder is characterised by the largest geographic rangeamong terrestrial snakes, which encompasses most of the Eurasiancontinent. Despite this taxon being characterised by low dispersal abilitiesand high philopatry, previous studies based on mtDNA have suggested aninitial continental recolonisation event around a million years ago,subsequently followed by minor colonisation events during the Lower-MidPleistocene glacial cycles. Although, the use of a single locus and the lack ofspatial/climatic hypothesis testing frameworks, may provide weak support.This project exploits Climate-Informed Spatial Genetic Modelling to test suchrecolonisation hypotheses. The complex and diverse biogeographic history ofthe common adder makes this taxon the perfect subject to investigate thecauses responsible for recurrent range expansion events. Whole-genomesequencing data from specimens across the distributional range will be usedto confirm demographic predictions and evaluate genomic regions underselection in order to assess the potential of populations to cope with futureclimatic scenarios.