Extreme genetic divergence indicated by chromosome rearrangements

Abstract Chromosomal rearrangements are often associated with local adaptation and speciation because they suppress recombination, and as a result, rearrangements have been implicated in disrupting geneflow. Although there is strong evidence to suggest that chromosome rearrangements are a factor in genetic isolation of divergent populations, the underlying mechanism remains elusive. Here we applied an integrative cytogenetics and genomics approach testing whether chromosomal rearrangements are the initial process, or a consequence, of population divergence in the dwarf goanna, Varanus acanthurus. Specifically, we tested whether chromosome rearrangements are indicators of genetic barriers that can be used to identify divergent populations by looking at geneflow within and between populations with rearrangements. We found that geneflow was present between individuals with chromosome rearrangements within populations, but there was no geneflow between populations that had similar chromosome rearrangements. Moreover, we identified a correlation between reduced genetic variation in populations with a higher frequency of homozygous submetacentric individuals. These findings suggest that chromosomal rearrangements were widespread prior to divergence and because we found populations with higher frequencies of submetacentric chromosomes were associated with lower genetic diversity, this could indicate that polymorphisms within populations are early indicators of genetic drift.