This study aims to understand the genetic mechanisms of adaptations that enable species to survive under changing environmental conditions using the univoltine bush cricket species Isophya rizeensis as a model system. The species has a remarkable altitudinal distribution, starting from sea level to 2500 meters, and shows distinct clinal patterns in dorsal coloration and body size variation along the steep altitudinal gradient. These patterns are associated with temperature and precipitation, making I. rizeensis an excellent system for studying the genetic mechanisms of adaptation. To this end we sampled individuals from the total range of I. rizeensis and from an altitudinal gradient ranging from 350 to 2500 meters within the Fırtına Valley and used RAD sequence data to determine genome-wide polymorphisms in a total of 96 individuals. To understand genetic structure and genetic differentiation along this gradient and to discover genomic regions associated with attitudinal change we conducted PCA and discriminant analysis based on genome-wide data. Preliminary results show a transitional area between pale and dark populations around 1400 meters supported by PCA and admixture analysis which show three distinct genetic clusters correlated with altitude. Discriminant analysis discovered 138 genomic regions with major contributions to differentiation between populations along the altitudinal gradient. These findings contribute to our understanding of the genetic mechanisms underlying adaptation to changing environmental conditions in ectotherms with fast generation times and wide distribution ranges.
