Bioclimatic variables influence the strength of purifying selection on mitochondrial DNA in an avian clade (Aves: Piciformes)
Jérôme Fuchs, Benoît Nabholz, Brieuc Kaesmann, Jean‐Marc Pons, Céline Bonillo, Martin Irestedt, Sophea Chhin, Dawie de Swardt, Inocêncio Chongo, Almiro Rogério Tivane, Eduardo Samo Gudo, Per G. P. Ericson
The paper examines how bioclimatic variables affect purifying selection on mitochondrial DNA in Piciformes birds, finding a negative correlation between temperature range and substitution rates.
bioRxiv · Jun 14, 2026 · PreprintEvolutionary Biology