Significant population methylation divergence and local environmental influence in an invasive ascidian Ciona intestinalis at fine geographical scales

Biological invasion provides a promising system for studying rapid environmental accommodation and adaptation in the wild. Mounting evidence indicates that epigenetic modifications such as DNA methylation play crucial roles in rapid local accommodation and adaptation. Thus, we hypothesize that different local environments can trigger methylation divergence among marine invasive populations at fine geographical scales. In this study, we examined...