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Code and sequence data pertaining to: A phylogenomic perspective on interspecific competition

Louw, Nicolas1; Uricchio, Lawrence1; Wolfe, Benjamin1

Research facility: Tufts University
Published Dec 13, 2023 on Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.sj3tx96bd

Data files

Dec 13, 2023 version files 31.22 MB

Abstract

Evolutionary processes may have substantial impacts on community assembly, but evidence for phylogenetic relatedness as a determinant of interspecific interaction strength remains mixed. In this perspective, we consider a possible role for discordance between gene trees and species trees in the interpretation of phylogenetic signal in studies of community ecology. Modern genomic data show that the evolutionary histories of many taxa are better described by a patchwork of histories that vary along the genome rather than a single species tree. If a subset of genomic loci harbor trait-related genetic variation, then the phylogeny at these loci may be more informative of interspecific trait differences than the genome background. We develop a simple method to detect loci harboring phylogenetic signal and demonstrate its application through a proof of principle analysis of Penicillium genomes and pairwise interaction strength. Our results show that phylogenetic signal that may be masked genome-wide could be detectable using phylogenomic techniques and may provide a window into the genetic basis for interspecific interactions.