Ancient gene introgression drives biodiversity of nymphaea Nouchali in Hainan under environmental change
image: The genomic genotypes of N. lotus were infiltrated into N. nouchali tens of thousands of years ago unraveling the evolutionary mystery between N. nouchali and N. lotus.
Credit: Weiyue Sun, Jiangping Shu, Zhicong Huang, Zuxia He, Baodong Liu, Yingrui Liu, Daike Tian, Lei Wu, Song He, Xilong Zheng, and Yuehong Yan
Date: April 30, 2026
Shenzhen, China: A research team led by scientists from China has uncovered that ancient gene introgression from Nymphaea lotus has significantly promoted the biodiversity of Nymphaea nouchali, a rare and endangered aquatic flower native to Hainan Island. The findings were published in Biological Diversity, providing new perspectives on plant adaptive evolution and conservation genomics.
Using population genomic analysis based on RAD-seq, the team detected heterozygous deletions and inbreeding within N. nouchali populations, along with low genetic differentiation and limited recent gene flow between the two water lily species. Importantly, ancient introgression events between their ancestors were far more frequent than post-speciation genetic exchange, gradually infiltrating the genome of ancient N. nouchali and altering its morphological traits in Hainan.
Ecological niche modeling further showed that suitable habitats for both species extensively overlapped in Hainan during the mid-Holocene, facilitating historical hybridization. With climate change and habitat shifts, N. lotus retreated while N. nouchali diversified locally.
These results clarify the evolutionary mechanisms underlying Nymphaea diversification and support targeted conservation for threatened wild water lily populations.
Original Source
Sun, Weiyue, Jiangping Shu, Zhicong Huang, Zuxia He, Baodong Liu, Yingrui Liu, Daike Tian, et al. 2024. “Ancient gene introgression promotes biodiversity of Nymphaea nouchali in Hainan under environmental changes.” Biological Diversity 1(3–4): 165–179.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/bod2.12023
Keywords
D-statistic test, genetic differentiation, genetic diversity, hybridization, phylogeny
About the Author
Weiyue Sun (First Author), PhD, graduated from Harbin Normal University. She is mainly engaged in molecular biology research including plant genomics, phylogenetics and population genetics.
Yuehong Yan (Corresponding Author), PhD supervisor, researcher at the Orchid Conservation and Research Centre of Shenzhen. His research mainly focuses on biodiversity conservation, systematic taxonomy and evolutionary biology.
Xilong Zheng (Corresponding Author), Deputy Director and Associate Researcher of the Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine Resources, and School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Master’s Supervisor. His research focuses on the classification and identification, development, and quality evaluation of traditional Chinese medicine and ethnic medicine resources.
About the Journal
Biological Diversity (ISSN: 2994-4139) is a new open-access, high-impact, English-language journal, devoted to advancing biodiversity conservation, enhancing ecosystem services, and promoting the sustainable use of resources under global change. It features innovative research addressing the global biodiversity crisis.