Revealing the coexistence of differentiation and communication in an endemic hare, Lepus yarkandensis (Mammalia, Leporidae) using specific-length amplified fragment sequencing

BACKGROUND: The Yarkand hare (Lepus yarkandensis Günther, 1875) is endemic to oasis and desert areas around the Tarim Basin in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of northwest China; however, genome-wide information for this species remains limited. Moreover, the genetic variation, genetic structure, and phylogenetic relationships of Yarkand hare from the plateau mountain regions have not been reported. Thus, we used specific-length amplified fragment sequencing (SLAF-seq) technology to evaluate the genetic diversity of 76 Yarkand hares from seven geographic populations in the northern and southwestern parts of the Tarim Basin to investigate single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) marker-based population differentiation and evolutionary processes. Selective sweep analysis was conducted to identify genetic differences between populations. RESULTS: Using SLAF-seq, a total of 1,835,504 SNPs were initially obtained, of which 308,942 high-confidence SNPs were selected for further analysis. Yarkand hares exhibited a relatively high degree of genetic diversity at the SNP level. Based on pairwise F(ST) estimates, the north and southwest groups showed a moderate level of genetic differentiation. Phylogenetic tree and population structure analyses demonstrated evident systematic phylogeographical structure patterns consistent with the geographical distribution of the hares. Hierarchical analysis of molecular variation further indicated that genetic variation was mainly observed within populations. Low to moderate genetic differentiation also occurred among populations despite a common genomic background, likely due to geographical barriers, genetic drift, and differential selection pressure of distinct environments. Nevertheless, the observed lineage-mixing pattern, as indicated by the evolutionary tree, principal component analysis, population structure, and TreeMix analyses, suggests a certain degree of gene flow between the north and southwest groups. This may be related to the migration of hares to high-altitude water sources southwest of the basin during glacial climatic oscillations, as well as river re-diffusion and oasis restoration in the basin following the glacial period. We also identified candidate genes, and their associated gene ontology terms and pathways, related to the adaptation of Yarkand hares to different environmental habitats. CONCLUSIONS: The identified genome-wide SNPs, genetic diversity, and population structure of Yarkand hares expand our understanding of the genetic background of this endemic species and provide valuable insights into its environmental adaptation, allowing for further exploration of the underlying mechanisms. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12983-021-00432-x.