Gamete production patterns and mating systems in water frogs of the hybridogenetic Pelophylax esculentus complex in north-eastern Ukraine

Hybridization and polyploidy play an important role in animal speciation. European water frogs of the Pelophylax esculentus complex demonstrate unusual genetic phenomena associated with hybridization, clonality and polyploidy which presumably indicate an initial stage of reticulate speciation. The Seversky Donets River drainage in north‐eastern Ukraine is inhabited by both sexes of the diploid and triploid hybrid P. esculentus and only one parental species Pelophylax ridibundus. Based on the presence of various types of hybrids, all populations studied can be divided into three geographical groups: I) P. ridibundus–P. esculentus without triploids; II) P. ridibundus–P. esculentus without diploid hybrids; and III) P. ridibundus–P. esculentus with a mixture of diploids and triploids. A study of gametogenesis revealed that diploid P. esculentus in populations of the first type usually produced haploid gametes of P. ridibundus and a mixture of haploid gametes that carried one or another parental genome (hybrid amphispermy). In populations of the second type, hybrids are derived from crosses of P. ridibundus males with triploid hybrid females producing haploid eggs with a genome of P. lessonae. Therefore, we suggest that clonal genome duplication in these eggs might be the result of suppression of second polar body formation or extra precleavage endoreduplication. In populations of the third type, some diploid females can produce diploid gametes. Fertilization of these eggs with haploid sperm can result in triploid hybrids. Other hybrids here produce haploid gametes with one or another parental genome or their mixture giving rise to new diploid hybrids. European water frogs of the Pelophylax esculentus complex demonstrate unusual genetic phenomena associated with hybridization, clonality and polyploidy. The Seversky Donets River drainage in north‐eastern Ukraine is inhabited by diploid and triploid hybrid P. esculentus and only one parental species P. ridibundus. Based on the presence of various types of hybrids, all populations studied were divided into three geographical groups. Mass occurrence of P. esculentus which produced a mixture of haploid gametes carrying one or another non‐recombinant parental genome was reported for the first time.