New Paper: Morphological and genomic responses to hurricanes arise and persist during a biological invasion

In brief, we find Florida-wide morphological and genomic signatures of hurricane-driven evolution of limbs and toe pads in the Brown anole.

Synopsis: Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of extreme weather events. Research shows hurricanes are a source of strong natural selection, favoring traits that enhance the clinging ability of lizards under strong winds. Investigating the invasion of the brown anole, we found that populations experiencing more hurricanes had longer limbs and larger toepads, trait values that increase clinging performance. This signature was mirrored at the genetic level, with several genomic regions showing strong associations with hurricane frequency and limb length, as well as extreme differentiation among populations. Our results suggest that increases in the frequency and strength of hurricane-induced selection will alter the balance of selective pressures on limbs and toepads, reshaping morphological and genomic variation in wild populations.

Kolbe, J.J., S.T. Giery, A.S. Petherick, J.B. Losos, and D.G. Bock. Morphological and genomic responses to hurricanes arise and persist during a biological invasion. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 122(47): e2517322122. https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2517322122.