Diversification in Alpine butterflies: from macroevolutionary patterns to microevolutionary processes

Kay Lucek

Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland

kay.lucek@unine.ch

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The order of Lepidoptera represents one of the most diverse branches of the Tree of Life. However, the evolutionary drivers of this unique diversity are far from being understood. A potentially overlooked mechanism lies in the structure of the genome itself as Lepidoptera have so-called holocentric chromosomes that lack single centromeres. A consequence of holocentricity may be an increased potential for genomic rearrangements such as chromosomal fusions and fissions. I will map chromosomal rearrangements and explore their potential role for species diversification, ranging from macroevolutionary patterns to microevolutionary processes. The focal species are Erebia butterflies, a highly diverse group of primarily cold-adapted butterflies. Erebia sibling species are also often strongly diverged and form very narrow zones of secondary contact, allowing to further study additional barriers to gene flow at a late stage of speciation. But what could they be?

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