Population genomics of the bdelloid rotifer Adineta vaga

Bdelloid rotifers have long been considered an ancient asexual lineage. The main reason to assume that bdelloid rotifers lack sexual reproduction is the failure to detect males in their populations. However, this does not exclude the possibility of cryptic sexual reproduction or some other kind of interindividual genetic exchanges in this group of species. To elucidate the mode of reproduction of bdelloids, we sequenced complete genomes of 11 wild-caught individuals of the bdelloid rotifer Adineta vaga. We use the obtained data to search for signatures of recombination and genetic exchange in this species.