Spatial Patterns of Neutral and Functional Genetic Variations along Dendritic Networks of Riverscape in Brown Trout Populations

Understanding how environmental gradients shape the spatial patterns of intraspecific genetic diversity is a central issue in ecological and evolutionary sciences. In riverine ecosystems, there generally an increase neutral downstream, as well differentiation among upstream populations. However, selective pressures may vary markedly along upstream–downstream gradient, which could modify these patterns, but this has rarely been tested empirically. Here, we investigated river network both SNP markers functional putatively under natural selection (candidate SNPs associated with physiological functions immune Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) loci) wild brown trout First, showed that distance from confluence centrality on explain variation differentiation. Second, found followed similar pattern, higher lower populations were more and/or near to confluence. This study highlights importance considering hydrological factors understand predict role dendritic connectivity fish