Postdoc David Toews gave his talk at AOU/COS on Extensive biogeographic introgression and weak genomic divergence between phenotypically distinct wood warblers. This collaborative project is using new genomic tools to better understand the dynamics of hybridization between golden-winged and blue-winged warblers. The new data confirm that hybridization is likely facilitating extensive admixture between these groups, and even with many markers distributed throughout the genome there is little differentiation between them. The team is now using whole genome sequences from individuals of both plumage types to try to quantify genetic basis for the distinct phenotypic differences between these species.
