Genetic signals of local adaptation in a desert rodent (Dipodomys microps) that occupies diverse climates and habitats.

We searched for genetic signals of selection in populations of the chisel-toothed kangaroo rat (Dipodomys microps), a species that occupies two distinct plant assemblages and a wide range of climatic conditions in the American southwest. We used double digest Restriction Site Associated DNA sequencing to generate a dataset of single nucleotide polymorphisms from 180 individuals belonging to 30 populations. We used genome-environment association and gene ontology methods to identify genetic loci showing significant association with environmental variables, compare the strength of selection across the species distribution, and link loci under selection to genes and gene functions.