Adaptive evolution in insular radiations of cone snails (Gastropoda: Conidae) ) using data from high quality complete genomes

Understanding how species originate and evolve, i.e., why organisms fall into discrete groups generating biodiversity, is a central issue in Evolutionary Biology with still important unsolved questions. This coordinated project represents the logic and more ambitious continuation of three previous ones and directly stands on their fruitful results. As a novelty, it generalizes the use of high-quality, chromosome-level genomes in our long-term studies on the marine radiation of cone snails (Conidae) endemic to the Cabo Verde archipelago. Our continuous research effort over a decade on this radiation is allowing the establishment of two robust models (and textbook examples) for evolutionary studies of the larger community. We will obtain at least two high-quality (PacBio HiFi + Dovetail Omni-C) reference assemblies for comparative genomic studies, as well as low-coverage whole-genome sequence data from at least 50 individuals for population genomic studies. The project will complement the common genomic approach with functional studies at the transcriptomic, proteomic and metabolomic levels of the cone venom glands. 

Main collaborators are: José Templado (MNCN), Cristina Grande (UAM), Manuel J. Tenorio (UCA), Juan Carlos García-Galindo (UCA), and Julio Rozas (UB)