The Aquilegia genome provides insight into adaptive radiation and reveals an extraordinarily polymorphic chromosome with a unique history

Abstract

The columbine genus <i>Aquilegia</i> is a classic example of an adaptive radiation, involving a wide variety of pollinators and habitats. Here we present the genome assembly of <i>A. coerulea</i> 'Goldsmith', complemented by high-coverage sequencing data from 10 wild species covering the world-wide distribution. Our analyses reveal extensive allele sharing among species and demonstrate that introgression and selection played a role in the <i>Aquilegia</i> radiation. We also present the remarkable discovery that the evolutionary history of an entire chromosome differs from that of the rest of the genome - a phenomenon that we do not fully understand, but which highlights the need to consider chromosomes in an evolutionary context.