Parallel adaptive evolution of geographically distant herring populations on both sides of the North Atlantic Ocean

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
• Main Authors: Lamichhaney, Sangeet, Fuentes-Pardo, Angela P., Rafati, Nima, Ryman, Nils, McCracken, Gregory R., Bourne, Christina, Singh, Rabindra, Ruzzante, Daniel E., Andersson, Leif
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: National Academy of Sciences 2017
• Subjects: PNAS Plus; North Atlantic
• Online Access: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5410801/; http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28389569; https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1617728114

Identification of genetic changes that allow a species to adapt to different environmental conditions is an important topic in evolutionary biology. In this study we analyzed whole-genome resequencing data of Atlantic herring populations from both sides of the Atlantic Ocean and identified a number of loci that show consistent associations with spawning time (spring or autumn). Several of these loci, such as thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor (TSHR), have a well-established role in reproductive biology, whereas others have never been implicated in controlling reproduction. Genetic variants associated with adaptation to spring or autumn spawning are shared to a large extent among populations across the Atlantic Ocean and the Baltic Sea, providing evidence for parallel adaptive evolution.