Morphological Clines and Weak Drift along an Urbanization Gradient in the Butterfly, Pieris rapae

摘要: Urban areas are increasing globally, providing opportunities for biodiversity researchers to study the process in which species become established novel, highly disturbed habitats. This ecological can be understood through analyses of morphological and genetic variation, shed light on patterns neutral adaptive evolution. Previous studies have shown that urban populations often diverge genetically from non-urban source populations. could occur due drift, but an alternative is selection lead allele frequency changes The development genome scan methods provides opportunity investigate these outcomes samples variation taken along urbanization gradient. Here we examine wing size diversity at amplified fragment length polymorphisms butterfly Pieris rapae L. (Lepidoptera, Pieridae) sampled center periphery Marseille. We utilize novel environmental correlation approaches evidence selection. find significant differences populations, as well weak structure decreased versus sites. However, tests provide little support our dataset. Our comparison different clines suggests loci identified false positives. Although there some indication may acting butterflies, suggest P. undergoing drift.