High genomic diversity and candidate genes under selection associated with range expansion in eastern coyote () populations. Author Elizabeth Heppenheimer, Kristin Brzeski, Joseph Hinton, Brent Patterson, Linda Rutledge, Alexandra DeCandia, Tyler Wheeldon, Steven Fain, Paul Hohenlohe, Roland Kays, Bradley White, Michael Chamberlain, Bridgett vonHoldt Publication Year 2018 Type Journal Article Abstract Range expansion is a widespread biological process, with well-described theoretical expectations associated with the colonization of novel ranges. However, comparatively few empirical studies address the genomic outcomes accompanying the genome-wide consequences associated with the range expansion process, particularly in recent or ongoing expansions. Here, we assess two recent and distinct eastward expansion fronts of a highly mobile carnivore, the coyote (), to investigate patterns of genomic diversity and identify variants that may have been under selection during range expansion. Using a restriction-associated DNA sequencing (RADseq), we genotyped 394 coyotes at 22,935 SNPs and found that overall population structure corresponded to their 19th century historical range and two distinct populations that expanded during the 20th century. Counter to theoretical expectations for populations to bottleneck during range expansions, we observed minimal evidence for decreased genomic diversity across coyotes sampled along either expansion front, which is likely due to hybridization with other species. Furthermore, we identified 12 SNPs, located either within genes or putative regulatory regions, that were consistently associated with range expansion. Of these 12 genes, three (, , and ) have putative functions related to dispersal, including habituation to novel environments and spatial learning, consistent with the expectations for traits under selection during range expansion. Although coyote colonization of eastern North America is well-publicized, this study provides novel insights by identifying genes associated with dispersal capabilities in coyotes on the two eastern expansion fronts. Journal Ecol Evol Volume 8 Issue 24 Pages 12641-12655 Date Published 2018 Dec ISSN Number 2045-7758 DOI 10.1002/ece3.4688 Alternate Journal Ecol Evol PMCID PMC6309008 PMID 30619570 PubMedPubMed CentralGoogle ScholarBibTeXEndNote X3 XML