Hopi Hoekstra and colleagues were interested in whether lighter coat coloration arose in Gulf and Atlantic Coast populations through convergent evolution. How did they test this, and what did they find?

Hopi Hoekstra and her colleagues tested whether lighter coat coloration arose in Gulf and Atlantic Coast populations through convergent evolution by conducting a series of genetic and ecological analyses. They collected genetic samples from both populations and analyzed the genes responsible for coat color. They also studied the environmental factors that could potentially drive natural selection for lighter coat color in these coastal populations.

Their findings revealed that the lighter coat coloration in Gulf and Atlantic Coast populations did indeed arise through convergent evolution. They found that the same genetic mutations were responsible for the lighter coat color in both populations, indicating that natural selection had favored this trait independently in each population. Additionally, they found that the lighter coat color provided better camouflage in the sandy coastal habitats, supporting the idea that environmental factors drove the evolution of this trait.

Overall, their research provided strong evidence for convergent evolution of lighter coat coloration in Gulf and Atlantic Coast populations, highlighting the role of natural selection and environmental factors in shaping the evolution of this trait.