Genetic insight into a polygenic trait using a novel genome-wide association approach in a wild amphibian population

Body size variation is central in the evolution of life-history traits in amphibians, but the underlying genetic architecture of this complex trait is still largely unknown. Herein, we studied the genetic basis of body size and fecundity of the alternative morphotypes in a wild population of the Greek smooth newt (Lissotriton graecus). By combining a genome-wide association approach with linkage disequilibrium network analysis, we were able to identify clusters of highly correlated loci thus maximizing sequence data for downstream analysis. The putatively associated variants explained 12.8% to 44.5% of the total phenotypic variation in body size and were mapped to genes with functional roles in the regulation of gene expression and cell cycle processes. Our study is the first to provide insights into the genetic basis of complex traits in newts and provides a useful tool to identify loci potentially involved in fitness-related traits in small data sets from natural populations in non-model species.

Robustness of newt heads in condition of co-existence: a case of the Carpathian newt and the alpine newt

Co-existence between potentially competing newt species can lead to niche differentiation (e.g., in terms of diet shifts). This may cause adaptive responses involving changes in head shape. Here, we tested the hypothesis: the head shape of Lissotriton montandoni is different in conditions of co-occurrence with Ichthyosaura alpestris than in conditions in which other newt species are absent. We analysed images depicting head shape of specimens of I. alpestris and L. montandoni from a museum collection. All specimens of I. alpestris originated in a habitat where L. montandoni also occurred, whereas specimens of L. montandoni derived from populations that cohabited with I. alpestris and populations in which the presence of another newt species was not recorded. In each image, landmarks and semilandmarks were digitised. Females of L. montandoni from the population where I. alpestris also occurred were characterised by more massive heads and longer mouths in lateral views than females from sites where no other newt species occurred. Significant differences in head shape were also found when analysing ventral views between these species when they occupied the same habitat. We confirmed that the head shape of female L. montandoni differs between conditions of co-occurrence and absence of I. alpestris; no differences were found for males. A differently shaped head may be an adaptation to diet; L. montandoni females with longer mouths and more robust basal parts of the head can feed on larger invertebrates and compete more effectively with I. alpestris. The co-existence of newt species should be taken into account in future ecomorphological studies.

Morphing of the phylogeographic lineages of the Balkan alpine newts (Ichthyosaura alpestris, Caudata, Salamandridae): in situ morphological diversification

Numerous alpine newt (Ichthyosaura alpestris) populations from the Balkans, representing all the previously established phylogeographic lineages, were studied for variations in various morphological characteristics (body size and shape, skull qualitative traits and number of trunk vertebrae). Here, we present a decoupling of morphological and mtDNA phylogeographic substructuring in the alpine newt on the Balkan Peninsula. In sharp contrast to other European newts (Triturus spp., Lissotriton spp.), the vast majority of morphological variation in the alpine newt is concentrated at the population level indicating an in situ morphological diversification. We found that the rate of morphological change is similar to the rate of mtDNA change. We hypothesize that the alpine newts are characterized by non-adaptive morphological evolution.