Speciation leads to the diversification of lineages, whereas adaptation maximizes the survival and reproductive success of organisms in an ever-changing environment, thereby further increasing diversification. Both processes are often intimately intertwined and strong divergent selection can lead to explosive radiation events. Recent discoveries strongly suggest that gene regulation plays an important role in speciation and adaptive diversification. Understanding the processes of speciation and adaptation at the genomic scale is expected to yield new insights into the proximate mechanisms of diversification and provide a deeper understanding of how biodiversity evolves.
In this Research Topic, we aim to explore which genomic features foster divergence in gene regulation and thereby diversification between species across the tree of life. We, therefore, welcome studies on evolutionary changes of gene regulation systems and their impact on adaptation/speciation, in particular:
· gene regulatory factors and respective regulatory patterns
· non-coding regulatory sequences
· genome structure
· transposons
· chromatin structure and histone modifications
This Research Topic will be a collection of views on the speciation and adaptation drivers, but also a platform for discussions of open questions and problems at all levels, from methodological to conceptual. Thus, along with original research articles, opinion and review articles are welcome in this issue.
Speciation leads to the diversification of lineages, whereas adaptation maximizes the survival and reproductive success of organisms in an ever-changing environment, thereby further increasing diversification. Both processes are often intimately intertwined and strong divergent selection can lead to explosive radiation events. Recent discoveries strongly suggest that gene regulation plays an important role in speciation and adaptive diversification. Understanding the processes of speciation and adaptation at the genomic scale is expected to yield new insights into the proximate mechanisms of diversification and provide a deeper understanding of how biodiversity evolves.
In this Research Topic, we aim to explore which genomic features foster divergence in gene regulation and thereby diversification between species across the tree of life. We, therefore, welcome studies on evolutionary changes of gene regulation systems and their impact on adaptation/speciation, in particular:
· gene regulatory factors and respective regulatory patterns
· non-coding regulatory sequences
· genome structure
· transposons
· chromatin structure and histone modifications
This Research Topic will be a collection of views on the speciation and adaptation drivers, but also a platform for discussions of open questions and problems at all levels, from methodological to conceptual. Thus, along with original research articles, opinion and review articles are welcome in this issue.
