VCF-file for: The effects of GC-biased gene conversion on patterns of genetic diversity among and across butterfly genomes

Recombination reshuffles the alleles of a population through crossover and gene conversion. These mechanisms have considerable consequences on the evolution and maintenance of genetic diversity. Crossover, for example, can increase genetic diversity by breaking the linkage between selected and nearby neutral variants. Bias in favor of G or C alleles during gene conversion may instead promote the fixation of one allele over the other, thus decreasing diversity. Mutation bias from G or C to A and T opposes GC-biased gene conversion (gBGC). Less recognized is that these two processes may when balanced promote genetic diversity. Here we investigate how gBGC and mutation bias shape genetic diversity patterns in wood white butterflies (Leptidea sp.). This constitutes the first in-depth investigation of gBGC in butterflies. Using 60 re-sequenced genomes from six populations of three species, we find substantial variation in the strength of gBGC across lineages. When modeling the balance of gBG...