Craig D. Wells
@craigdwells.bsky.social
PhD Candidate at University of Idaho 🧬 Studying hybridization in Pacific Trout 🐟 He/him
We continue our showcase of the new MEC special issue, Genomics of Speciation! Schluter et al. Coexistence in Sympatry With Gene Flow Before Speciation Has Completed Read more: buff.ly/Kdy7dTe @wileyecology.bsky.social
Coexistence in Sympatry With Gene Flow Before Speciation Has Completed
Incipient species often coexist in sympatry before complete reproductive isolation has evolved between them. How do they persist in the face of hybridization and gene flow? The challenge is more…
doi.org
Very cool new study led by @craigdwells.bsky.social evaluating the role of structural variants in facilitating complex hybridization dymanics between native and introduced Rainbow Trout lineages and Westslope Cutthroat trout #consgen #fishgen
Marty Kardos@martykardos.bsky.social · 3w agoThe role of inversion polymorphisms in the dynamics of a salmonid hybrid zone. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Rapid genome-wide purging following tsunami-induced hybridization in a stickleback population www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Rapid genome-wide purging following tsunami-induced hybridization in a stickleback population - Nature Ecology & Evolution
Species persistence following hybridization in nature requires the purging of introgressed alleles. Genomic monitoring of a tsunami-induced hybrid stickleback population in Japan reveals rapid genome-...
nature.com
Inversion Polymorphisms Carried by Introduced Rainbow Trout Disrupt Hybrid Zones Between Native Species onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Inversion Polymorphisms Carried by Introduced Rainbow Trout Disrupt Hybrid Zones Between Native Species
Genomic mechanisms explaining why some hybrid zones remain stable while others collapse into hybrid swarms are poorly understood. In Montana's Kootenai River Basin, native interior redband trout (Onc...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
The role of inversion polymorphisms in the dynamics of a salmonid hybrid zone. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Inversion Polymorphisms Carried by Introduced Rainbow Trout Disrupt Hybrid Zones Between Native Species
Genomic mechanisms explaining why some hybrid zones remain stable while others collapse into hybrid swarms are poorly understood. In Montana's Kootenai River Basin, native interior redband trout (Onc...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Our new paper is out in @molecology.bsky.social! We asked why redband × westslope cutthroat hybridization can remain limited, while introduced coastal rainbow trout are associated with hybrid swarms. Our results point to inversions, dispersal, and genomic incompatibilities. doi.org/10.1111/mec....
doi.org
Long-term genetic outcomes of a mixed-source introduction of Westslope Cutthroat Trout https://ow.ly/plKC50Zn3qL 📊: Bell et al. | cjfas-2025-0417
An inversion-rich genome shapes admixture outcomes, generating a mosaic of lineage-specific ancestries in the European sardine https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.28.741196v1
Summary of Key Changes in OMB’s Proposed Federal Financial Assistance Rule. Russell Vought is going destroy American Science. elizabethginexi.substack.com/p/summary-of...
Summary of Key Changes in OMB’s Proposed Federal Financial Assistance Rule
Russell Vought is going destroy American Science
elizabethginexi.substack.com
NEW: Global Assessment of Migratory Freshwater Fishes @worldwildlife.org www.worldwildlife.org/publications... “Vital freshwater fish migrations are collapsing; hundreds of species need urgent, coordinated cross-border action” Please share!
My lab’s first publication is out now! MSc student Tia Attfield reviewed the current captive rearing literature in salmonids and provides perspectives on how epigenomics can help. Huge thanks to all our co-authors for their expert insights! onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Epigenetics in Captivity: Restoring Wild Phenotypes in Captive‐Reared Salmonids
Captive rearing is a common practice for the stocking, conservation, and supplementation of fish species worldwide, but captive-reared fish can exhibit altered phenotypes leading to reduced fitness i...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Biological invasions present an interesting paradox: often little genetic variation is accompanied by dramatic ecological success. Led by PhD student Chris Osborne, we evaluated genetic diversity in a classic invader, brown treesnake on Guam. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6... Photo: Pavel Kirilliov
The project is proposed at Pushpum, a sacred food- and medicine-gathering and ceremonial site within the more than 12 million acres Yakama Nation ceded to the federal government by treaty in 1855. If built, it would destroy the site. (Isabella Breda / Seattle Times)
Federal energy regulators OK pumped-storage project on Columbia River
A renewable energy project along the Columbia River, at a Yakama Nation sacred site, secured a key federal license.
buff.ly
Work by Bell, Kovach, Whiteley and colleagues demonstrates that even inbred trout source populations can be used for genetic rescue. Great news for folks considering translocation efforts, but are faced with the challenge of identifying suitable (genetically diverse) donor populations #ConsGen
Inbred source populations result in genetic rescue of imperiled trout populations
Genetic rescue—assisted translocation to reduce inbreeding and increase population viability—is a promising conservation strategy for mitigating the e…
sciencedirect.com
Our Editorial for our upcoming special issue in Molecular Ecology: Conservation Genomics—Making a Difference onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Conservation Genomics—Making a Difference
Conservation genomics has increasingly transitioned from a promising concept to a science that integrates a range of advanced analytical approaches, providing new insights into inbreeding, genetic lo....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
The value of structural variants to conservation genomics in the pangenome era academic.oup.com/jhered/advan...
The value of structural variants to conservation genomics in the pangenome era
Abstract. Structural variants (SVs) comprise an axis of genetic diversity with strong consequences for phenotype and fitness, making them a potentially imp
academic.oup.com
Ancestors of Fishers translocated decades ago into the Rockies in northern ID and MT persist! #consgen #fishers academic.oup.com/jmammal/adva...
The genetic implications of translocations on Fisher (Pekania pennanti) populations in Montana and Idaho
Genetic structure of fishers in the US Northern Rocky Mountains is influenced by translocation history. Fishers in Northern Idaho and Montana are derived f
academic.oup.com
De novo Genome Assemblies of Four Rainbow Trout Genetic Lines Reveal Structural Variants In Pursuit of a Pangenome Reference https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.11.681701v1
Neat job alert 🧬🐺🦌 Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks is hiring a wildlife conservation geneticist based in Missoula, MT. The position is joint with @umontana.bsky.social, working with Dr. Ryan Kovach on lots of neat wildlife #consgen projects. Reach out to Ryan with questions.
Wildlife Conservation Geneticist
Click the link provided to see the complete job description.
mtstatejobs.taleo.net
Effects of deleterious mutations on the fixation of chromosomal inversions on autosomes and sex chromosomes https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.10.681595v1
If you’ve heard about our study on ants producing two different species but are still confused about how it works (and don’t have time to read the paper), this 10-minute video made by @bengthomas.bsky.social is very informative: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-O4... Paper: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
The Ants That Broke Biology
YouTube video by 7 Days of Science
youtube.com
Legal battle reignites over Lower Snake River Dams, salmon
Legal battle reignites over Lower Snake River Dams, salmon
The Trump administration pulled back a landmark agreement over the operations of dams in the Columbia Basin. Now the legal fight has reignited.
seattletimes.com
Size matters—but maybe not how we thought. Most chromosomal inversions are just a few hundred bp. Ignoring these “small players” could mean we’ve misunderstood how genomes evolve -out in TREE authors.elsevier.com/a/1ljL1cZ3X3...
New paper with @birdpicsandscience.bsky.social out TODAY!! We found that choosing "highly informative loci" (aka high fst loci) may bias results in common population genetic analyses onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... Explainer thread to come! #PopGen #PopulationGenomics #Evolution
‘Highly‐Informative’ Genetic Markers Can Bias Conclusions: Examples and General Solutions
High-grading bias is the overestimation power in a subset of loci caused by model overfitting. Using both empirical and simulated datasets, we show that high-grading bias can cause severe overestimat...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Here are some beautiful examples of non-hybridized Redband Trout (O. mykiss gairdneri) from Montana. These fish are increasingly rare in Montana and are the state's only native Rainbow Trout (state rank: S1). FWP has recently spawned wild fish aiming to create a conservation hatchery broodstock.
Grateful to be included as a minor co-author on this paper! The assemblies in this paper have been a great resource for other work in the pipeline
Genetics Society of America@genetics-gsa.bsky.social · last yr.📢 NEW GENOME ALERT A chromosomal-level genome assembly and a genetic map of the west slope cutthroat trout published in #G3journal identifies specific chromosomal rearrangements, including fusions, fissions, and inversions, elucidating new genetic variation in the species. buff.ly/IUlhh4R
📢 NEW GENOME ALERT In #G3journal, Lecomte et al. produced a chromosome-level genome assembly of brook trout and performed a comparative analysis to identify homology with sister species lake trout and Atlantic salmon. Read more: buff.ly/if3vgmp
