Lizards on a sky archipelago: genomic approaches to the evolution of the mountain genus Iberolacerta
The mountain-dwelling lizards of the genus Iberolacerta inhabit several isolated massifs across central and southwestern Europe. Their restricted and fragmented ranges, coupled with high altitude specialization in most species, entail a significant threat in the context of climate change for this gr...
| Autores: | , , |
|---|---|
| Tipo de recurso: | artículo |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2026 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya) |
| Repositorio: | Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:recercat.cat:2072/489082 |
| Acceso en línea: | http://hdl.handle.net/2072/489082 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2025.108527 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Llangardaixos Lacèrtids Genòmica Anoxèmia Pirineus Europa del Sud 59 |
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Lizards on a sky archipelago: genomic approaches to the evolution of the mountain genus IberolacertaTalavera, AdriánBurriel-Carranza, BernatCarranza, SalvadorLlangardaixosLacèrtidsGenòmicaAnoxèmiaPirineusEuropa del Sud59The mountain-dwelling lizards of the genus Iberolacerta inhabit several isolated massifs across central and southwestern Europe. Their restricted and fragmented ranges, coupled with high altitude specialization in most species, entail a significant threat in the context of climate change for this group of lizards that has attracted interest from different fields. On the one hand, the alpine confinement of these relict species precedes the Pleistocene glacial cycles, and a few hypotheses have been proposed to explain it: from competitive exclusion by the wall lizards of the genus Podarcis, to adaptations to either cold or hypoxia, that would prevent them from expanding into lowlands. On the other hand, extensive research on chromosome evolution has shown Iberolacerta karyotypes to fairly differ from other lacertid lizards, exhibiting reductions in chromosome numbers and multiple sex chromosome determination systems. Here, we present a chromosome-level genome assembly for Iberolacerta aurelioi, an endangered rock lizard endemic to the Pyrenees. This genome has shed light on a genome architecture shaped by chromosome fusions, whose adaptive potential we discuss, as well as on expression shifts towards a hemoglobin isoform of enhanced oxygen affinity, as an adaptation to altitudinal hypoxia. In addition, medium coverage whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data from 12 representatives encompassing all species and subspecies within the genus allowed us to address phylogenomic relationships, unveiling introgression events, gathering evidence in support of the competitive exclusion hypothesis through past demographic inference, and providing insights into homozygosity burdens, which offer valuable information for conservation efforts.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion2026info:eu-repo/semantics/article15 p.application/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/2072/489082https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2025.108527RECERCAT (Dipòsit de la Recerca de Catalunya)reponame:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunyainstname:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)InglésMolecular phylogenetics and evolution, 217 (2026), 108527, 15 p.© 2026 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc.Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 Internationalhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:recercat.cat:2072/4890822026-05-29T05:05:01Z |
| dc.title.none.fl_str_mv |
Lizards on a sky archipelago: genomic approaches to the evolution of the mountain genus Iberolacerta |
| title |
Lizards on a sky archipelago: genomic approaches to the evolution of the mountain genus Iberolacerta |
| spellingShingle |
Lizards on a sky archipelago: genomic approaches to the evolution of the mountain genus Iberolacerta Talavera, Adrián Llangardaixos Lacèrtids Genòmica Anoxèmia Pirineus Europa del Sud 59 |
| title_short |
Lizards on a sky archipelago: genomic approaches to the evolution of the mountain genus Iberolacerta |
| title_full |
Lizards on a sky archipelago: genomic approaches to the evolution of the mountain genus Iberolacerta |
| title_fullStr |
Lizards on a sky archipelago: genomic approaches to the evolution of the mountain genus Iberolacerta |
| title_full_unstemmed |
Lizards on a sky archipelago: genomic approaches to the evolution of the mountain genus Iberolacerta |
| title_sort |
Lizards on a sky archipelago: genomic approaches to the evolution of the mountain genus Iberolacerta |
| dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv |
Talavera, Adrián Burriel-Carranza, Bernat Carranza, Salvador |
| author |
Talavera, Adrián |
| author_facet |
Talavera, Adrián Burriel-Carranza, Bernat Carranza, Salvador |
| author_role |
author |
| author2 |
Burriel-Carranza, Bernat Carranza, Salvador |
| author2_role |
author author |
| dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv |
Llangardaixos Lacèrtids Genòmica Anoxèmia Pirineus Europa del Sud 59 |
| topic |
Llangardaixos Lacèrtids Genòmica Anoxèmia Pirineus Europa del Sud 59 |
| description |
The mountain-dwelling lizards of the genus Iberolacerta inhabit several isolated massifs across central and southwestern Europe. Their restricted and fragmented ranges, coupled with high altitude specialization in most species, entail a significant threat in the context of climate change for this group of lizards that has attracted interest from different fields. On the one hand, the alpine confinement of these relict species precedes the Pleistocene glacial cycles, and a few hypotheses have been proposed to explain it: from competitive exclusion by the wall lizards of the genus Podarcis, to adaptations to either cold or hypoxia, that would prevent them from expanding into lowlands. On the other hand, extensive research on chromosome evolution has shown Iberolacerta karyotypes to fairly differ from other lacertid lizards, exhibiting reductions in chromosome numbers and multiple sex chromosome determination systems. Here, we present a chromosome-level genome assembly for Iberolacerta aurelioi, an endangered rock lizard endemic to the Pyrenees. This genome has shed light on a genome architecture shaped by chromosome fusions, whose adaptive potential we discuss, as well as on expression shifts towards a hemoglobin isoform of enhanced oxygen affinity, as an adaptation to altitudinal hypoxia. In addition, medium coverage whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data from 12 representatives encompassing all species and subspecies within the genus allowed us to address phylogenomic relationships, unveiling introgression events, gathering evidence in support of the competitive exclusion hypothesis through past demographic inference, and providing insights into homozygosity burdens, which offer valuable information for conservation efforts. |
| publishDate |
2026 |
| dc.date.none.fl_str_mv |
2026 |
| dc.type.none.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/article |
| format |
article |
| dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv |
http://hdl.handle.net/2072/489082 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2025.108527 |
| url |
http://hdl.handle.net/2072/489082 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2025.108527 |
| dc.language.none.fl_str_mv |
Inglés |
| language_invalid_str_mv |
Inglés |
| dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv |
Molecular phylogenetics and evolution, 217 (2026), 108527, 15 p. |
| dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv |
© 2026 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
| rights_invalid_str_mv |
© 2026 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ |
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openAccess |
| dc.format.none.fl_str_mv |
15 p. application/pdf |
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RECERCAT (Dipòsit de la Recerca de Catalunya) reponame:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya instname:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya) |
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Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya |
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