Integrative evidence reveals adaptive divergence and speciation in gentoo penguins
Understanding lineage divergence is crucial for uncovering cryptic biodiversity. Adaptive divergence, geographic isolation and life-history traits drive speciation in heterogeneous environments. The gentoo penguin complex (Pygoscelis spp.), historically treated as a single species, provides an ideal system to examine divergence across its full distribution. Here, we show the existence of four divergent evolutionary lineages (northern, southern, southeastern, and eastern), supported by phylogenomic and lineage-specific selective pressures, despite ancestral gene flow. South Georgia and Macquarie individuals whose status has been debated, were included. Genomic scans reveal lineage-specific signals of positive selection in genes related to thermoregulation, oxygen transport, metabolism, and skeletal development, consistent with ecological and morphological differentiation across the Antarctic Polar Front. Future niche projections indicate severe habitat losses for three lineages, whereas the southern gentoo may expand its range. We propose a taxonomic revision recognizing four distinct gentoo penguin species, including Pygoscelis kerguelensis sp. nov., with important conservation implications.
Authors
- Luis R. Pertierra (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2232-428X)
- Philip N. Trathan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6673-9930)
- Joshua Tyler (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2917-3621)
- Rauri C. K. Bowie (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8328-6021)
- Débora Y. C. Brandt (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9565-7835)
- Michelle Greve (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6229-8506)
- Julie C. McInnes (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8902-5199)
- Gemma V. Clucas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4305-1719)
- Élie Poulin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7736-0969)
- Andrés Barbosa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8434-3649)
- Céline Le Bohec (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0149-6477)
- Andrea Raya Rey (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0127-6650)
- Daly Noll (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3733-8817)
- Eduardo J. Pizarro (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3427-1194)
- Hila Levy (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9204-6417)
- W. Brian Simison
- Fabiola León
- Pierre Pistorius
- Francesco Bonadonna
- Gisele P. M. Dantas
- Jane Younger
Institutions
- Universidad de Santiago de Chile (CL)
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- University of Tasmania (AU)
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology (US)
- British Antarctic Survey (GB)
- Australian Antarctic Division (AU)
- United States Fish and Wildlife Service (US)
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (AR)
- École Pratique des Hautes Études (FR)
- Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (CL)
- Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais (BR)
- Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas (VE)
- Université de Montpellier (FR)
- Cornell University (US)
- Millennium Science Initiative (CL)
- California Academy of Sciences (US)
- National University of Tierra del Fuego (AR)
- University of Bristol (GB)
- Centre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive (FR)
- Wildlife Conservation Society Argentina (AR)
- Centro Científico Tecnológico - San Juan (AR)
- Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity (CL)
- Universidad Andrés Bello (CL)
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (ES)
- Centro Científico Tecnológico - Tucumán (AR)
- Scientific Centre of Monaco (MC)
- Universidad de Los Lagos (CL)
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (FR)
- Millennium Institute for Integrative Biology (CL)
- University College London (GB)
- Université de Strasbourg (FR)
- University of Pretoria (ZA)
- University of Chile (CL)
- Nelson Mandela University (ZA)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Communications Biology
- Published
- 2026-04-23
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-026-10081-7
- Primary Topic
- Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00