Dahong Chen* & Wang, S*. 2026. Endosymbiotic bioenergetic synergy behind climate-mediated species boundaries of rainforest warblers. Preprint.
We discovered the synergy among endosymbiotic genes underlies climate adaptation of rainforest warblers. Such synergy is affected by climate change, which interferes with blood bioenergetic functions. Adaptive introgression of endosymbiotic genetic variants reshapes the nascent species boundary.
Wang, S. & Anne Yoder. 2025. Synergies between speciation and conservation science yield novel insights for mitigating the biodiversity crisis of the Anthropocene. PNAS.
An introductory perspective of the special feature "Monitoring and Restoring Gene Flow in the Increasingly Fragmented Ecosystems of the Anthropocene", co-edited by Silu and Dr. Anne Yoder.
Eddo, D. D.^, Hodur, Z. J.^, Wang, S. 2025. The hidden figures at species boundaries: the mitochondrial energetics behind mating signal divergence. Integrative & Comparative Biology.
In this perspective piece, we discussed how mitochondrial energetics could differentially power the mating signals and mediate gene flow at species boundaries.
+Eddo, D.D.^, +Rouse, B.M.L.^, & Wang, S. Mitonuclear divergence predicts gradual speciation in animal hybrid zones. EcoEvoRxiv.
With global hybrid zone studies, this paper examined three alternative speciation rate models: Snowball Effect, Additive Linear Effect, and Slowdown Effect to understand the contribution of mitonuclear genetic divergence to reproductive isolation. We discovered that Endosymbiotic Snowball Effect significantly underpins the selection against hybrids in animal hybrid zones.
Guerra, MA*, Gao, C. ^, Crickenberger, S. Vélez M., Coloma, M.A, Wang, S.* 2025. Museum insights for conservation: Unraveling the Extinction Factors in the Jambato Harlequin Frog, Atelopus ignescens. Genome.
This paper showed that climate change played a significant role in the historical extinction of Jambato Harlequin Frog, which was abundant in the Andes before 1985 but went extinct in 1988. There was also a weaker signature of Bd fungus infection.
Wang, S.* The dynamic climate adaptation of indicator warbler species complex in the Pacific Rainforest. Preprint.
This preprint shows that the breeding populations of Pacific Rainforest canopy warblers were affected by climate change but with signs of adaptation. The Pacific Rainforests are significantly getting dryer in July since 1960s.
Chen, D.*, Keremane, S. Wang, S. Lei, E.P.* 2025. CTCF regulates global chromatin accessibility and transcription during rod photoreceptor development. PNAS. 122 (9) e2416384122.
This collaboration with Dahong Chen unraveled the regulation of global transcription and chromatin accessibility by a central chromatin architectural protein, CTCF, during photoreceptor development.
Guo, Y.^, Falk, J., Medina-Madrid, J.l., Wang, S.* 2025. The courtship behavior of a secretive rainforest tinamou, Tinamus major. Ornithology. ukae062.
This paper described the courtship behavioral sequence of wild Great Tinamous, in which the female tinamou displayed a suite of previously uncharacterized courtship behaviors and vocalization. Reprint
Wang S.* 2024. Divergent island hybrids mixed waves of ancient gene flow
Molecular Ecology. 33: e17279.
This is a commentary about the historical domestication, divergence, and hybridization of bobwhites.
Li Q., Chen D., Wang S.* 2023. Character displacement of egg colors during tinamou speciation. Evolution. 77: 1874–1881.
This paper provided macroevolutionary evidence that the divergence of tinamou egg coloration is consistent with character displacement driven by reinforcement. Egg colors coevolved with songs in Tinamidae.
Young R.L.+, Price S. M.+, Schumer M., Wang S., Cummings M.* 2023. Individual variation in preference behavior in sailfin fish refines the neurotranscriptomic pathway for mate preference. Ecology and Evolution. 13:e10323.
We showed brain transcriptomic variations underlying mate preference of Sailfin mollies (Poecilia latipinna).
de Zwaan D. R., Mackenzie J.^, Mikkelsen E.^, Wood, C., Wang S.* 2022. Opposing dominance within a color gene block is associated with maladaptive hybrid signal discordance. PNAS nexus. 1: 1-6.
This paper showed that the divergence of ASIP gene between hybrizing warbler species led to mismatched Badges of Status signals in hybrids, which is associated with the reduction of fitness proxies in hybrids.
Wang S., Nalley M.J., Chatla K., Aldaimalani R.^, MacPherson A., Wei KH-C., Corbett R., Mai D., Bachtrog D.* 2022. Neo-sex chromosome evolution shapes sex-dependent asymmetrical introgression barrier. PNAS. 119: e2119382119.
This study revealed a complex interplay of meiotic drive, Neo-Y degeneration load, chromosomal fusion advantage, and genetic incompatibility shaping introgression across species boudaries of Afroeurasia fruit flies.
+MacPherson A.*, +Wang S., Rieseberg L., Yamaguchi R., Otto S. 2022. Parental population range expansion before secondary contact promotes heterosis. American Naturalist. 200: E1-E15.
This paper showed that post-expansion hybridization and introgression can be boosted by masking the expansion load estabilished in the wavefronts of parental populations. We highlight the role of allele surfing in shaping species boundaries.
Wang S.*, Ore M.^ Mikkelsen E.^ , Lee-Yaw, J., Rohwer S., Irwin DE. 2021. Signatures of mito-nuclear climate adaptation in a warbler species complex. Nature Communications. 12:4279.
We showed significant coevolution of mitochondrial ancestry and its co-functioning beta-oxidation lipid metabolic gene block in chr5 in ancient hybrids of the Pacific Rainforest warblers. The mitonuclear ancestries were significantly correlated with climatic gradients in western North America.
Wang S.*, Rohwer S., de Zwaan D. R., Toews D.P.L., Lovette I.J., Mackenzie J. ^, Irwin DE. 2020. Selection on a small genomic region underpins differentiation in multiple color traits between two warbler species. Evolution Letters. 4: 502-515. Link.
This study showed selection on ASIP gene block contributed to the stability of the species boundary between hybridizing warbler species.
Wang S., Sokolowski M. B.* 2017. Aggressive behaviors, food-deprivation, and the foraging gene. Royal Society Open Science. 4:170042.
This paper characterized the aggression difference between rover and sitter fruit flies, the genetic polymorphism of foraging gene. In addition, we examined the effect of food-deprivation on their aggression.
Wang S.M.T., Ramsey M., Cummings M. E.* 2014. Plasticity of the mate choice mind: courtship evokes choice-like brain responses in females from a coercive mating system. Genes, Brain and Behavior. 13: 365-375.
This study showed plastic transcription response of neuroplasticity genes in the brains of mate choice females to coercive versus courting conspecific and heterospecific males.