Résumé
Chromosome inversions have fascinated the scientific community, mainly
because of their role in the rapid adaption of different taxa to changing
environments. However, the ecological traits linked to chromosome
inversions have been poorly studied. Here, we investigated the roles
played by 23 chromosome inversions in the adaptation of the four major
African malaria mosquitoes to local environments in Africa. We studied
their distribution patterns by using spatially explicit modeling and
characterized the ecogeographical determinants of each inversion range. We
then performed hierarchical clustering and constrained ordination analyses
to assess the spatial and ecological similarities among inversions. Our
results show that most inversions are environmentally structured,
suggesting that they are actively involved in processes of local
adaptation. Some inversions exhibited similar geographical patterns and
ecological requirements among the four mosquito species, providing
evidence for parallel evolution. Conversely, common inversion
polymorphisms between sibling species displayed divergent ecological
patterns, suggesting that they might have a different adaptive role in
each species. These results are in agreement with the finding that
chromosomal inversions play a role in Anopheles ecotypic adaptation. This
study establishes a strong ecological basis for future genome-based
analyses to elucidate the genetic mechanisms of local adaptation in these
four mosquitoes.