Targeted-capture sequencing of European least weasels (Mustela nivalis) and other mustelids

The least weasel (Mustela nivalis) is one of several species that seasonally change coat color, from summer-brown to winter-white, a phenological adaptation that allows maintaining camouflage in environments seasonally covered with snow. In some geographic regions, winter-brown populations occur, resulting from local adaptation to environments with distinct snow conditions. Winter color polymorphism in this species maps to the pigmentation gene MC1R.In this project, we performed a custom targeted-enrichment sequencing approach, aimed at MC1R and anonymous genome-wide regions, to study the origin and evolution of this adaptive polymorphism. We generated data from individuals representative of European and North American populations of least weasels and individuals representative of other mustelid species (Mustela and Neogale genera). This data was used to understand the evolution of this locus in the context of both the species' population history and the diversification of mustelids.All data was generated from specimens held at natural history museums or institutional and private research collections.