Data from: Selection on outlier loci and their association with adaptive phenotypes in Littorina saxatilis contact zones

A fundamental issue in speciation research is to evaluate phenotypic variation and the genomics driving the evolution of reproductive isolation between sister taxa. Above all, hybrid zones are excellent study systems for researchers to examine the association of genetic differentiation, phenotypic variation and the strength of selection. We investigated two contact zones in the marine gastropod Littorina saxatilis and utilized landmark-based geometric morphometric analysis together with amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers to assess phenotypic and genomic divergence between ecotypes under divergent selection. From genetic markers, we calculated the cline width, linkage disequilibrium and the average effective selection on a locus. Additionally, we conducted an association analysis linking the outlier loci and phenotypic variation between ecotypes and show that a proportion of outlier loci are associated with key adaptive phenotypic traits.

物种形成研究的核心议题之一，是评估表型变异以及驱动姊妹类群间生殖隔离演化的基因组基础。尤为重要的是，杂交带是研究者探究遗传分化、表型变异与选择强度之间关联的理想研究体系。本研究针对海洋腹足类滨螺（Littorina saxatilis）的两个接触带展开调查，采用基于地标点的几何形态测量学分析，结合扩增片段长度多态性（amplified fragment length polymorphism, AFLP）标记，对分歧选择下不同生态型间的表型与基因组分化进行评估。基于遗传标记，我们计算了渐变群宽度、连锁不平衡程度以及单个基因座的平均有效选择强度。此外，我们开展了关联分析，将异常基因座与生态型间的表型变异进行关联，并证实部分异常基因座与关键适应性表型性状存在关联。