Haplotype tagging sheds light on speciation between two divergent cryptic species of the brown algae Ectocarpus

Clicks: 18
ID: 333492
2026
Free PDF
Article Quality & Performance Metrics
Overall Quality
Not rated
Combines reader engagement with the AI quality analysis. This article has not been analysed, so there is no overall score — reader engagement is measured and shown alongside.
AI Quality Assessment
Not analyzed
Readership in this journal
Emerging

Ranked #82 of 118 articles by views in genome biology and evolution

Most read Least read

Bar heights use a square-root scale.

Mint this article as an NFT
Not yet minted

Create a permanent, verifiable on-chain record of this article on the Scimatic Network. The NFT is held in your Journament account, and you can withdraw it to your own wallet at any time.

5 SUSD one-off · no wallet required
Sign in to mint
Abstract
Abstract Understanding how genome-wide divergence translates to barriers to gene flow is a central question in speciation research, particularly in marine environments where interconnected habitats frequently accommodate cryptic diversity. Using linked-read whole-genome data from the brown alga Ectocarpus, we investigated genome-wide reproductive isolation between two cryptic brown algal species E. siliculosus and E. crouaniorum across replicated hybrid zones in Europe and Chile. We first uncover deep genetic structure within E. crouaniorum, revealing a more intricate species complex than previously recognized. Despite this complexity, we found parallel patterns of asymmetric introgression that emerged independently in Europe and Chile, where we detected both, F1 and low-level introgressed individuals. However, the specific lineage pairs involved in hybridization depended on local demographic history. Demographic modeling further indicated that reproductive isolation strengthens gradually with divergence time and differs markedly between geographic regions, with ongoing asymmetric gene flow even between lineage pairs where hybrids were not detected in the field. In all cases, the genomic landscape of hybridization is consistent with a polygenic, genome-wide barrier to gene flow rather than a few large-effect regions. Our results show that cryptic speciation in brown algae is driven by repeatable, regionally parallel architectures of genome-wide barriers to gene flow, with lineage-specific demographic history playing an important role in shaping the extent of reproductive isolation.
Reference Key
openalex_W7223238880 Use this key to autocite in the manuscript while using SciMatic Manuscript Manager or Thesis Manager
Authors Cécile Molinier, Lauric Reynes, Marek Kučka, Yingguang Frank Chan, Jérôme Coudret, Remy Luthringer, Fabian B. Haas, Akira F. Peters, Alejandro E. Montecinos, Marie‐Laure Guillemin, Christophe Destombe, Susana M. Coelho, Myriam Valéro, Agnieszka P. Lipinska
Are you one of these authors? Claim your profile
Journal genome biology and evolution
Year 2026
DOI
10.1093/gbe/evag268
URL
https://doi.org/10.1093/gbe/evag268
Keywords Keywords not found

Citations

No citations found. To add a citation, contact the admin at info@scimatic.org

Comments

No comments yet. Be the first to comment on this article.