Interior Redband Trout Hybridization Dynamics and Linkage Mapping
This project investigates the genomic basis of hybridization among native interior redband trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss gairdneri; IRT), native westslope cutthroat trout (O. lewisi; WCT), and introduced coastal rainbow trout (O. mykiss; CRT) in the Kootenai River Basin of Montana. Genomic data were generated to characterize patterns of introgression, population structure, and the role of chromosomal structural variation in shaping hybridization dynamics. The project includes data used to develop linkage maps for interior redband trout and to evaluate genomic variation across native, introduced, and hybrid individuals. Particular emphasis was placed on a chromosome 5 double-inversion complex associated with migratory behavior and on additional structural differences between rainbow trout and westslope cutthroat trout. These data were used to investigate how introduced intraspecific variation, dispersal-associated genomic regions, and interspecific genomic incompatibilities influence gene flow and the maintenance or breakdown of reproductive barriers in naturally sympatric trout populations.