Understanding dispersal potential in climate-sensitive species

本项目旨在研究大规模地理冰后期气候变化的基因组和人口学效应，使用V. berus作为研究模型。这将使我们能够评估以前人口变化的机制，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学的影响。普通蝰蛇的特点是最大的地理范围在陆栖蛇，其中包括大部分欧亚大陆。尽管这一分类群的特点是低分散能力和高philopatry，以前的研究基于mtDNA提出了一个最初的大陆殖民事件约一百万年前，随后在下-中更新世冰期周期的小殖民事件。虽然，使用一个单一的基因座和缺乏ofspace/climate假设检验框架，可能会提供弱support.This项目利用气候知情的空间遗传建模来测试suchonisation假设。普通加法器的复杂和多样的地理历史使这一分类群成为调查负责经常性范围扩展事件的原因的完美主题。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选择不足，以评估人口科普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.