KWAF10

Killer Whales

 Partecipanti

Mappa

 Word cloud

Esplora la "nuvola delle parole (Word Cloud) per avere un'idea di massima del progetto.

 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'Ecology is the major force behind divergent selection and therefore has a key role in driving evolution and speciation1. Investigating the interaction between ecology, genes and phenotype has typically been limited to a few model species for which classic ecological techniques can be applied, e.g. reciprocal transplant experiments. This leaves us with little or no understanding of the processes or mechanisms involved in speciation in non-model organisms. The advent of high-throughput DNA sequencing allows for genome-wide scans of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs), which when combined with recently developed statistical approaches can be used to detect genes under selection and map these to linked phenotypic traits. When combined with multi-disciplinary analysis of field data, e.g. stable isotopes, morphometrics and behavioural observations, these can be used to investigate the genetic basis in phenotype divergence and elucidate the mechanisms and processes behind evolutionary divergence and ultimately speciation in non-model organisms. Killer whales are polytypic; ecologically, morphologically and genetically disparate ecotypes are found in the Atlantic, Antarctic and Pacific. They are therefore an ideal candidate for the application of novel and in-development techniques to investigate the genetic basis of phenotype divergence and the role of divergent ecological selection.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

Killer whales (Orcinus orca) are an apex predator at the top of the marine food chain and are found in all the world's oceans. Although currently considered a single species, local variations exist and several killer whale types are recognised.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

The EU-funded 'Killer whales' (KWAF10) project investigated the genetic basis of phenotype divergence and the role of divergent ecological selection in the species. The whale's phenotype is the combination of its observed characteristics or traits. The KWAF10 initiative therefore set out to investigate the evolutionary causes behind phenotypic variations among killer whale populations.

A genome-scale global data set was used to produce the genome-wide scan data. Researchers studied genome-wide nucleotide variation in numerous individual killer whales to determine the species' population history. This included past and present migrations, changes in range and adaptations to a changing environment.

High-throughput DNA sequencing technology can be used to answer evolutionary, conservation and population genetics questions in a wide range of species. Although the killer whale it is not a model species it was chosen as it is understood well enough to validate the technique and present a testable hypothesis.

The DNA sequencing technique was used to detect genes under selection pressure and map them to linked phenotypic traits. In addition, researchers sequenced the whole genome of a killer whale; the first complete high coverage genome for a marine mammal.

KWAF10 provided information on the adaptation of the mammalian genome to the marine environment. It also enabled scientists to understand how regions of the genome diverge during the speciation process.