Molecular Ecology最新文献

{"title":"Evidence for a Role of Extraintestinal Pathogenic Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis and Streptococcus gallolyticus in the Aetiology of Exudative Cloacitis in the Critically Endangered Kākāpō (Strigops habroptilus).","authors":"Rebecca K French, Stephanie J Waller, Janelle R Wierenga, Rebecca M Grimwood, James Hodgkinson-Bean, Andrew Digby, Lydia Uddstrom, Daryl Eason, Lisa S Argilla, Patrick J Biggs, Adrian Cookson, Nigel P French, Jemma L Geoghegan","doi":"10.1111/mec.17761","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.17761","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The kākāpō is a critically endangered flightless parrot which suffers from exudative cloacitis, a debilitating disease resulting in inflammation of the vent margin or cloaca. Despite this disease emerging over 20 years ago, the cause of exudative cloacitis remains elusive. We used total RNA sequencing and metatranscriptomic analysis to characterise the infectome of lesions and cloacal swabs from nine kākāpō affected with exudative cloacitis, and compared this to cloacal swabs from 45 non-diseased kākāpō. We identified three bacterial species-Streptococcus gallolyticus, Enterococcus faecalis and Escherichia coli-as significantly more abundant in diseased kākāpō compared to healthy individuals. The genetic diversity observed in both S. gallolyticus and E. faecalis among diseased kākāpō suggests that these bacteria originate from exogenous sources rather than from kākāpō-to-kākāpō transmission. The presence of extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC)-associated virulence factors in the diseased kākāpō population suggests that E. coli may play a critical role in disease progression by facilitating iron acquisition and causing DNA damage in host cells, possibly in association with E. faecalis. No avian viral, fungal nor other parasitic species were identified. These results, combined with the consistent presence of one E. coli gnd sequence type across multiple diseased birds, suggest that this species may be the primary cause of exudative cloacitis. These findings shed light on possible causative agents of exudative cloacitis, and offer insights into the interplay of microbial factors influencing the disease.</p>","PeriodicalId":210,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Ecology","volume":" ","pages":"e17761"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143954380","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Genomics Revolution in Nonmodel Species: Predictions vs. Reality for Salmonids.","authors":"Samuel A May, Samuel W Rosenbaum, Devon E Pearse, Marty Kardos, Craig R Primmer, Diana S Baetscher, Robin S Waples","doi":"10.1111/mec.17758","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.17758","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The increasing feasibility of whole-genome sequencing has been highly anticipated, promising to transform our understanding of the biology of nonmodel species. Notably, dramatic cost reductions beginning around 2007 with the advent of high-throughput sequencing inspired publications heralding the 'genomics revolution', with predictions about its future impacts. Although such predictions served as useful guideposts, value is added when statements are evaluated with the benefit of hindsight. Here, we review 10 key predictions made early in the genomics revolution, highlighting those realised while identifying challenges limiting others. We focus on predictions concerning applied aspects of genomics and examples involving salmonid species which, due to their socioeconomic and ecological significance, have been frontrunners in applications of genomics in nonmodel species. Predicted outcomes included enhanced analytical power, deeper insights into the genetic basis of phenotype and fitness variation, disease management and breeding program advancements. Although many predictions have materialised, several expectations remain unmet due to technological, analytical and knowledge barriers. Additionally, largely unforeseen advancements, including the identification and management applicability of large-effect loci, close-kin mark-recapture, environmental DNA and gene editing have added under-anticipated value. Finally, emerging innovations in artificial intelligence and bioinformatics offer promising new directions. This retrospective evaluation of the impacts of the genomic revolution offers insights into the future of genomics for nonmodel species.</p>","PeriodicalId":210,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Ecology","volume":" ","pages":"e17758"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143956884","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Repeated Mitochondrial Capture With Limited Genomic Introgression in a Lizard Group","authors":"Wesley J. Read,&nbsp;Rebecca J. Laver,&nbsp;Ching Ching Lau,&nbsp;Craig Moritz,&nbsp;Stephen M. Zozaya","doi":"10.1111/mec.17766","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.17766","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Mitochondrial introgression is common among animals and is often first identified through mitonuclear discordance—discrepancies between evolutionary relationships inferred from mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and nuclear DNA (nuDNA). Over recent decades, genomic data have also revealed extensive nuclear introgression in many animal groups, with implications for genetic and phenotypic diversity. However, the extent to which mtDNA introgression corresponds to nuDNA introgression varies. Here, we investigated historical and recent introgression in the <i>Gehyra nana-occidentalis</i> clade, a complex group of Australian geckos with documented cases of mitonuclear discordance suggestive of repeated mtDNA introgression. We hypothesised that mitonuclear discordance in this clade reflects mtDNA introgression with substantial nuclear introgression. Despite evidence of repeated mtDNA introgression, however, we found little to no evidence of historical nuDNA introgression using exon capture and genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data. We also found no evidence of gene flow at modern contact zones and detected only a single early generation hybrid. Unsurprisingly, given these results, we found no evidence of transgressive, intermediate, or more variable morphological phenotypes in taxa with introgressed mtDNA. These findings suggest that hybridisation in this system has, at least in some cases, resulted in repeated mitochondrial introgression with little or no nuclear introgression. This pattern aligns with other studies showing limited nuDNA introgression in taxa with mitonuclear discordance, highlighting a potentially broader trend in animal radiations.</p>","PeriodicalId":210,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Ecology","volume":"34 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/mec.17766","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143909285","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genomic Analysis Reveals a New Cryptic Taxon Within the Anopheles gambiae Complex With a Distinct Insecticide Resistance Profile in the Coast of East Africa","authors":"Sophia H. Mwinyi,&nbsp;Kelly L. Bennett,&nbsp;Sanjay C. Nagi,&nbsp;Bilali Kabula,&nbsp;Johnson Matowo,&nbsp;David Weetman,&nbsp;Francesco Baldini,&nbsp;Simon A. Babayan,&nbsp;Martin J. Donnelly,&nbsp;Chris S. Clarkson,&nbsp;Fredros O. Okumu,&nbsp;Alistair Miles","doi":"10.1111/mec.17762","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.17762","url":null,"abstract":"<p><i>Anopheles</i> mosquitoes are major malaria vectors, encompassing several species complexes with diverse life histories, transmission risks and insecticide resistance profiles that challenge malaria control efforts. This study investigated the genetic structure and insecticide resistance profiles of <i>Anopheles gambiae</i> complex mosquitoes in Tanzania. We analysed whole-genome sequence data of 300 mosquitoes collected between 2012 and 2015 across four regions in northern Tanzania and identified <i>An. gambiae</i> s.s., <i>An. arabiensis</i> and a distinct taxonomic group that was previously unknown. This distinct taxon has a unique profile of genetic diversity and appears restricted to the coastal region, and we refer to it as the <i>Pwani</i> molecular form. Analysis of insecticide resistance based on target-site mutations and copy number variations (CNV) showed that these markers were strikingly absent from the <i>Pwani</i> molecular form in contrast to other taxa. Our analysis also revealed a pattern of geographical isolation in the <i>An. gambiae</i> s.s. populations, with samples from the north-western site (Muleba) clustering separately from those collected in the north-eastern site (Muheza). These geographically isolated subpopulations also had differing resistance and selection profiles, with <i>An. gambiae</i> s.s. from the north-western site showing genomic evidence of higher resistance to pyrethroids compared with the north-eastern population. Conversely, <i>An. arabiensis</i> showed no geographical population structuring, with a similar insecticide resistance profile across all sampling locations, suggesting unrestricted gene flow. Our findings underscore the need to incorporate genetic data into malaria vector surveillance and control decisions and could inform the development and deployment of new interventions.</p>","PeriodicalId":210,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Ecology","volume":"34 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/mec.17762","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143909286","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ephemeral Speciation in a New Guinean Honeyeater Complex (Aves: Melidectes).","authors":"Ingo A Müller, Filip Thörn, Samyuktha Rajan, Remi-André Olsen, Per G P Ericson, Valentina Peona, Brian Tilston Smith, Gibson Maiah, Bonny Koane, Bulisa Iova, Mozes P K Blom, Martin Irestedt, Knud A Jønsson","doi":"10.1111/mec.17760","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.17760","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Speciation is a fundamental concept in evolutionary biology, and understanding the mechanisms driving speciation remains the foremost research topic within this field. Hybridisation is often involved in speciation and can influence its rates, potentially accelerating, decelerating or even reversing the process. This study investigates the evolutionary history of the New Guinean bird genus Melidectes, consisting of six species that inhabit various montane regions at different elevations. While most Melidectes species have allopatric distributions, two species overlap in the central mountain range and hybridise. However, plumage differences and elevational adaptations are assumed to maintain the species' boundaries. Utilising specimens from natural history collections and comprehensive genomic analyses, including a de novo genome assembly, we characterise allopatric speciation patterns within the genus and highlight how future speciation could potentially be driven by climate change. Contrary to previous hypotheses, our findings suggest that in the two distributionally overlapping species, phenotypic differences do not prevent gene flow. We find limited acoustic differentiation and extensive admixture across most of their distributions. Divergence and admixture levels conform poorly to the current taxonomy and follow a geographical pattern in which the most isolated populations at the ends of the distributions are most divergent and show least admixture. However, in contrast, their mitochondrial genomes do group in accordance with species identity, namely, into two deeply divergent lineages. We propose that this system demonstrates the ephemeral nature of speciation, in which two incipient species have started mixing extensively as they came into secondary contact, resulting in nearly complete fusion into a single lineage.</p>","PeriodicalId":210,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Ecology","volume":" ","pages":"e17760"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143956252","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring Mitonuclear Discordance: Ghost Introgression From an Ancient Extinction Lineage in the Odorrana swinhoana Complex","authors":"Chin-Chia Shen,&nbsp;Ikuo Miura,&nbsp;Tzong-Han Lin,&nbsp;Mamoru Toda,&nbsp;Hung Ngoc Nguyen,&nbsp;Hui-Yun Tseng,&nbsp;Si-Min Lin","doi":"10.1111/mec.17763","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.17763","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Mitonuclear discordance, the incongruence between mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and nuclear DNA (nuDNA), is a well-documented phenomenon with various potential explanations. One emerging hypothesis, ghost introgression, refers to the genetic contribution of an ancient, extinct or unsampled lineage and can now be tested using modern genomic data and demographic models. In this study, we investigated the evolutionary history of the <i>Odorrana swinhoana</i> complex (Anura: Ranidae), which includes <i>O. swinhoana</i>, <i>O. utsunomiyaorum</i> and an unidentified population with highly divergent mtDNA. While mitochondrial phylogeny suggested this population as a basal lineage, nuclear data from ddRADseq revealed it as a mixture of the most derived <i>O. swinhoana</i> nuclear sequences combined with ancient mtDNA. Demographic modelling further supported ghost introgression, as all models incorporating a ghost population outperformed those without it. These findings suggest that an eastward expansion of western <i>O. swinhoana</i> replaced an ancient <i>Odorrana</i> lineage, leaving only its mtDNA and fragments of its nuclear genome in the hybrid population. Our results provide one of the first documented cases of ghost introgression in amphibians and highlight its potential as a widespread evolutionary process. This study also underscores the risks of relying solely on mtDNA for phylogenetic reconstruction and species delimitation.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":210,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Ecology","volume":"34 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143909236","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Inheritance or Recruitment? The Assembly Mechanisms and Functional Dynamics of Microbial Communities in the Life Cycle of a Wood-Feeding Beetle","authors":"Si-Xun Ge,&nbsp;Yi-Ming Niu,&nbsp;Li-Li Ren,&nbsp;Shi-Xiang Zong","doi":"10.1111/mec.17751","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.17751","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Microbial partners enhance the metabolic capabilities of insects, enabling their adaptation to diverse ecological niches. Xylophagous insects have larvae that can digest lignocellulose and cope with plant secondary metabolites (PSMs). However, there is little information in terms of microbiome sources, dynamics and species contributions. This limits our understanding of the interaction between xylophagous insects and the microbiome. <i>Monochamus saltuarius</i> (Cerambycidae) is a significant borer of conifers. We used combined qPCR, host genomic and microbiome metagenomic datasets, as well as in vitro validation experiments to study the dynamics of the associated microbiome and its interactions with <i>M. saltuarius</i>. We evaluated microbial metabolic/biosynthetic contributions and validated their related functions. Our findings revealed that insect growth and development altered the quantity and community composition of associated bacteria and fungi. The egg microbiome was particularly susceptible to alteration due to oviposition pits. Bacterial transmission largely persisted between developmental stages, while fungal re-acquisition primarily originated from the external environment. By reconstructing community pathway maps, we identified the cooperative interactions between the insect and its gut microbiome. As larvae transitioned from phloem to xylem feeding, the functional role of the gut microbiome in various pathways was weakened. Remarkably, high-contribution bacterial species largely overlapped across different functional roles, and these species also showed considerable overlap between phloem and xylem feeding periods. Overall, our study highlights the unique interaction between xylophagous insects and their microbiome, which enhances their ability in lignocellulose digestion, PSMs degradation and the acquisition of essential amino acids, as well as vitamins.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":210,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Ecology","volume":"34 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143852992","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reconciling Gene Tree Discordance and Biogeography in European Crows","authors":"Chyi Yin Gwee,&nbsp;Dirk Metzler,&nbsp;Jérôme Fuchs,&nbsp;Jochen B. W. Wolf","doi":"10.1111/mec.17764","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.17764","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Reconstructing the evolutionary history of young lineages diverging with gene flow is challenging due to factors like incomplete lineage sorting, introgression, and selection causing gene tree discordance. The European crow hybrid zone between all-black carrion crows and grey-coated hooded crows exemplifies this challenge. Most of the genome in Western and Central European carrion crow populations is near-identical to hooded crows, but differs substantially from their Iberian congeners. A notable exception is a single major-effect colour-locus under sexual selection aligning with the ‘species’ tree. To understand the underlying evolutionary processes, we reconstructed the biogeographic history of the species complex. During the Pleistocene carrion and hooded crows took refuge in the Iberian Peninsula and the Middle East, respectively. Allele-sharing of all-black Western European populations with likewise black Iberian crows at the colour-locus represents the last trace of carrion crow ancestry, resisting gene flow from expanding hooded crow populations that have homogenised most of the genome. A model of colour-locus introgression from an Iberian ancestor into hooded crow populations near the Pyrenées was significantly less supported. We found no positive relationship between introgression and recombination rate consistent with the absence of genome-wide, polygenic barriers in this young species complex. Overall, this study portrays a scenario where few large-effect loci, subject to divergent sexual selection, resist rampant and asymmetric gene exchange. This study underscores the importance of integrating population demography and biogeography to accurately interpret patterns of gene tree discordance following population divergence.</p>","PeriodicalId":210,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Ecology","volume":"34 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/mec.17764","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143909367","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Wet Season Environments Drive Local Adaptation in the Timber Tree Dicorynia guianensis in French Guiana.","authors":"Julien Bonnier, Enrique Sáez Laguna, Thomas Francisco, Valérie Troispoux, Olivier Brunaux, Sylvain Schmitt, Stéphane Traissac, Niklas Tysklind, Myriam Heuertz","doi":"10.1111/mec.17759","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.17759","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The vast tropical rainforests of the Guiana Shield in Northern South America play a vital role in maintaining the region's ecological balance and economy. Increasing pressure from selective logging, gold mining and climate variability threatens these ecosystems. Sustainable rainforest management requires understanding the genetic diversity and local adaptation of key tree species to inform conservation. This study focuses on Dicorynia guianensis (Fabaceae), a widespread and economically important tree species in French Guiana. We performed genome resequencing on 87 individuals sampled in 11 sites across French Guiana to investigate the genetic structure, diversity and genetic basis of local adaptation. Genetic structure analysis identified three distinct groups: western, central and eastern, with similar levels of genetic diversity distributed in areas with different environmental conditions. Six methods applied to detect genomic signatures of selection revealed region-specific selective sweeps and a weak overlap between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) identified through outlier analysis or genome-environment association analyses. The strongest associations between environmental variables and genomic constitution were observed for potential evapotranspiration of the wettest quarter and for precipitation of the coldest quarter, suggesting that environmental variables related to high rainfall during the wet season are stronger drivers of local adaptation of D. guianensis populations than drought. Sites located in central and western French Guiana had higher risks of climatic maladaptation. These findings advance our understanding of local adaptation and climatic vulnerability in tropical trees and emphasise the need for targeted, area-specific management strategies for conservation and sustainable timber extraction under climate change.</p>","PeriodicalId":210,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Ecology","volume":" ","pages":"e17759"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143802055","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Historical Misstep: Niche Shift to Specialisation Is Pushing Insular Ginger Towards an Evolutionary Dead End","authors":"Min-Wei Chai,&nbsp;Hsin-Pei Lu,&nbsp;Pei-Chun Liao","doi":"10.1111/mec.17765","DOIUrl":"10.1111/mec.17765","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Niche specialisation is a double-edged sword as it aids species in adapting to a particular environment but makes them more susceptible to environmental change, which may result in species extinction. Although it has long been debated whether niche specialisation necessarily falls into an ‘evolutionary dead end’, empirical evidence from a population genetics perspective remains scant, especially when comparing both ecological generalists and specialists simultaneously. In this study, we scrutinised two Taiwan endemic gingers (<i>Zingiber pleiostachyum</i> and <i>Z. shuanglongense</i>) to evaluate how their contrasting patterns in niche breadth evolution have shaped their evolutionary trajectories. We utilised a genome-wide sequencing approach to investigate the demographic histories of each species, assess their maladaptation to future climate change, and estimate their mutational loads. Our results revealed distinct demographic histories between these two gingers. <i>Z. shuanglongense</i>, as the specialist, despite an initial increase during the Last Glacial Maximum (~22 Kya), has been subjected to a long-term decrease in effective population size (<i>N</i>e), while <i>Z. pleiostachyum</i> is on the contrary increasing, leading to a significantly larger current <i>N</i>e. Furthermore, ecological specialists are much more vulnerable to future climate change and exhibit greater drift-associated deleterious mutations compared to generalists, directly affecting species' fitness. This study strongly supports the idea that the transition in niche breadth towards specialisation will push <i>Z. shuanglongense</i> perilously close to extinction and also sheds light on species conservation within limited migratory space.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":210,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Ecology","volume":"34 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143794313","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}