Parnassius smintheus Raw sequence reads

Previous studies exploring the causes and consequences of changes in Rocky Mountain Apollo butterfly population size, movement among populations, and genetic diversity have created an internationally recognized model system for studying the ecology and genetics of meta-populations. The ability to analyze and interpret patterns of genetic variation in this system will be greatly enhanced through access to a high-quality genome sequence, including comprehensive analyses of adaptive genetic variation and the genetic basis of responses to environmental change. An assembled genome will provide a reference that facilitates affordable whole genome sequencing of population samples, which in turn will allow powerful analyses of how genomic variation, including adaptive variation, in the meta-population varies over space and time. The genome sequence will therefore be critical to identifying genetic loci that are important in determining responses to changing environmental conditions, particularly climate and landscape conditions (i.e., habitat fragmentation). The sequenced genome will keep this study system at the forefront of international research in ecology and evolution, and improve scientific understanding of responses to climate change, particularly in vulnerable alpine species.