Genomic signatures of adaptation in the Brazilian Dry Diagonal

Abstract

Mechanisms involved in species adaptation and diversification to dry habitats ­ like the BDD ­ are not clear. Spiders present taxonomic groups that are distributed both in forest formations and BDD biomes that are suitable to understand adaptive responses in the colonization process. For one BDD lineage and close relatives in adjacent mesic habitats a ombination of transcriptome and low­ coverage WGR studies will be sed to identify genome regions with high levels of sequence or expression differentiation. The hypothesis that adaptation to the BDD primarily involves changes in the sequences of coding regions or in noncoding regulatory regions will be tested. The differentiation across networks of genes will be investigated to clarify process of adaptation to the BDD applying tests for natural selection at the level of entire physiological pathways to provide clues about traits that may undergo rapid evolution upon entry into new habitats.