Range-wide genomic scans and tests for selection identify non-neutral spatial patterns of genetic variation in a non-model amphibian species (Pelobates cultripes)

Adaptive genetic diversity is a key factor in conservation planning as it relates to the evolutionary potential of populations and their responses to environmental change. Developments in landscape genomics have fostered a proliferation of tests for selection that aim to identify candidate adaptive markers in natural populations. However, these tests rely on different assumptions and may produce contrasting results. Here we applied six tests for selection in a range-wide genomic scan of an Iberian amphibian, Pelobates cultripes, which shows spatially structured genetic variation across its range, encompassing different bioclimatic zones. As a cursory scan for selection, one test identified candidate markers that describe a pattern of putatively adaptive genetic variation, highlighting coastal Atlantic localities as exhibiting putatively non-neutral patterns of genetic variation. While generalized genomic scans for selection in non-model species have limitations, exploratory searches can highlight areas to guide subsequent hypothesis-driven studies and conservation efforts.