Museum genomics reveals the Xerces blue butterfly (Glaucopsyche xerces) was a distinct species driven to extinction

Grewe, F., M. R. Kronforst, N. E. Pierce and C. S. Moreau. 2021. Museum genomics reveals the Xerces blue butterfly (Glaucopsyche xerces) was a distinct species driven to extinction. Biology Letters 17: 20210123.  CNN  New York Times  WTTW  Smithsonian Magazine  Newsweek  Gizmodo

The evolution and genetics of sexually dimorphic ‘dual’ mimicry in the butterfly Elymnias hypermnestra

Ruttenberg, D. M., N. W. VanKuren, S. Nallu, S-H Yen, D. Peggie, D. J. Lohman and M. R. Kronforst. 2021. The evolution and genetics of sexually dimorphic ‘dual’ mimicry in the butterfly Elymnias hypermnestra. Proceedings of Royal Society B 288: 20202192. UChicago Medicine  CCNY News  National Science Foundation  EurekAlert  Phys.org  newswise

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Genomics

kronforst faviconThe ability to survey and compare genetic variation genome-wide has revolutionized the study of evolutionary genomics. We sequence and compare genomes across species, populations, and individuals to address questions related to phylogenetics, population genetic structure and demographics, the genetic basis of phenotypic variation, and to study the interplay between divergence and gene flow among populations and species. Thankfully, butterflies have small genomes (200-400 Mbp) so we can generate good reference assemblies with relative ease and population resequencing at scale is feasible. On the other hand, poison dart frogs have large genomes (6-9 Gbp) that are highly repetitive, which makes genome assembly and analysis more complicated. Methods for genome sequencing and assembly are constantly improving and these will continue to empower the genomic revolution in evolutionary biology.

Selected Publications

Grewe, F., M. R. Kronforst, N. E. Pierce and C. S. Moreau. 2021. Museum genomics reveals the Xerces blue butterfly (Glaucopsyche xerces) was a distinct species driven to extinction. Biology Letters 17: 20210123.  CNN  New York Times  WTTW  Smithsonian Magazine  Newsweek  Gizmodo

Ruttenberg, D. M., N. W. VanKuren, S. Nallu, S-H Yen, D. Peggie, D. J. Lohman and M. R. Kronforst. 2021. The evolution and genetics of sexually dimorphic ‘dual’ mimicry in the butterfly Elymnias hypermnestra. Proceedings of Royal Society B 288: 20202192. UChicago Medicine  CCNY News  National Science Foundation  EurekAlert  Phys.org  newswise

Massardo, D., N. W. VanKuren, S. Nallu, R. R. Ramos, P. Gusmão, K. L. Silva-Brandão, M. M. Brandão, M. B. Lion, A. V. L. Freitas, M. Z. Cardoso and M. R. Kronforst. 2020. The roles of hybridization and habitat fragmentation in the evolution of Brazil’s enigmatic longwing butterflies, Heliconius nattereri and H. hermathena. BMC Biology 18: 84.

Mullen, S. P., N. W. VanKuren, W. Zhang, S. Nallu, E. B. Kristiansen, Q. Wuyun, K. Liu, R. I. Hill, A. D. Briscoe and M. R. Kronforst. 2020. Disentangling population history and character evolution among hybridizing lineages. Molecular Biology and Evolution 37: 1295-1305.

Edelman, N. B., P. B. Frandsen, M. Miyagi, B. Clavijo, J. Davey, R. B. Dikow, G. Garcia-Accinelli, S. M. Van Belleghem, N. Patterson, D. E. Neafsey, R. Challis, S. Kumar, G. R. P. Moreira, C. Salazar, M. Chouteau, B. A. Counterman, R. Papa, M. Blaxter, R. D. Reed, K. K. Dasmahapatra, M. R. Kronforst, M. Joron, C. D. Jiggins, W. Owen McMillan, F. Di Palma, A. J. Blumberg, J. Wakeley, D. Jaffe and J. Mallet. 2019. Genomic architecture and introgression shape a butterfly radiation. Science 366: 594-599.  Science Perspective  Dryad Data  bioRxiv Preprint  ScienceDaily

Zhang, W, K. K. Dasmahapatra, J. Mallet, G. R. P. Moreira and M. R. Kronforst. 2016. Genome-wide introgression among distantly related Heliconius butterfly species.  Genome Biology 17: 25.

Li, X., D. Fan, W. Zhang, G. Liu, L. Zhang, L. Zhao, X. Fang, L. Chen, Y. Dong, Y. Chen, Y. Ding, R. Zhao, M. Feng, Y. Zhu, Y. Feng, X. Jiang, D. Zhu, H. Xiang, X. Feng, S. Li, J. Wang, G. Zhang, M. R. Kronforst and W. Wang. 2015. Outbred genome sequencing and CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing in butterflies.  Nature Communications 6: 8212.  IGTRCN

Heliconius Genome Consortium. 2012. Butterfly genome reveals promiscuous exchange of mimicry adaptations among species.  Nature 487: 94-98.  New York Times  Harvard Gazette

The roles of hybridization and habitat fragmentation in the evolution of Brazil’s enigmatic longwing butterflies, Heliconius nattereri and H. hermathena

Massardo, D., N. W. VanKuren, S. Nallu, R. R. Ramos, P. Gusmão, K. L. Silva-Brandão, M. M. Brandão, M. B. Lion, A. V. L. Freitas, M. Z. Cardoso and M. R. Kronforst. 2020. The roles of hybridization and habitat fragmentation in the evolution of Brazil’s enigmatic longwing butterflies, Heliconius nattereri and H. hermathena. BMC Biology 18: 84.

Disentangling population history and character evolution among hybridizing lineages

Mullen, S. P., N. W. VanKuren, W. Zhang, S. Nallu, E. B. Kristiansen, Q. Wuyun, K. Liu, R. I. Hill, A. D. Briscoe and M. R. Kronforst. 2020. Disentangling population history and character evolution among hybridizing lineages. Molecular Biology and Evolution 37: 1295-1305.

Genomic architecture and introgression shape a butterfly radiation

Edelman, N. B., P. B. Frandsen, M. Miyagi, B. Clavijo, J. Davey, R. B. Dikow, G. Garcia-Accinelli, S. M. Van Belleghem, N. Patterson, D. E. Neafsey, R. Challis, S. Kumar, G. R. P. Moreira, C. Salazar, M. Chouteau, B. A. Counterman, R. Papa, M. Blaxter, R. D. Reed, K. K. Dasmahapatra, M. R. Kronforst, M. Joron, C. D. Jiggins, W. Owen McMillan, F. Di Palma, A. J. Blumberg, J. Wakeley, D. Jaffe and J. Mallet. 2019. Genomic architecture and introgression shape a butterfly radiation. Science 366: 594-599.  Science Perspective  Dryad Data  bioRxiv Preprint  ScienceDaily

Genome-wide introgression among distantly related Heliconius butterfly species

Zhang, W, K. K. Dasmahapatra, J. Mallet, G. R. P. Moreira and M. R. Kronforst. 2016. Genome-wide introgression among distantly related Heliconius butterfly species.  Genome Biology 17: 25.

Outbred genome sequencing and CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing in butterflies

Li, X., D. Fan, W. Zhang, G. Liu, L. Zhang, L. Zhao, X. Fang, L. Chen, Y. Dong, Y. Chen, Y. Ding, R. Zhao, M. Feng, Y. Zhu, Y. Feng, X. Jiang, D. Zhu, H. Xiang, X. Feng, S. Li, J. Wang, G. Zhang, M. R. Kronforst and W. Wang. 2015. Outbred genome sequencing and CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing in butterflies.  Nature Communications 6: 8212.  IGTRCN

Butterfly genome reveals promiscuous exchange of mimicry adaptations among species

Heliconius Genome Consortium. 2012. Butterfly genome reveals promiscuous exchange of mimicry adaptations among species.  Nature 487: 94-98.  New York Times  Harvard Gazette