Sex Chromosome-Linked Species Recognition and Evolution of Reproductive Isolation in Flycatchers

Interbreeding between species (hybridization) typically produces unfit offspring. Reduced hybridization should therefore be favored by natural selection. However, this is difficult to accomplish because hybridization also sets the stage for genetic recombination to dissociate species-specific traits...

Ausführliche Beschreibung

Gespeichert in:
Bibliographische Detailangaben
Veröffentlicht in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2007-10, Vol.318 (5847), p.95-97
Hauptverfasser: Sæther, Stein A, Sætre, Glenn-Peter, Borge, Thomas, Wiley, Chris, Svedin, Nina, Andersson, Gunilla, Veen, Thor, Haavie, Jon, Servedio, Maria R, Bureš, Stanislav, Král, Miroslav, Hjernquist, Mårten B, Gustafsson, Lars, Träff, Johan, Qvarnström, Anna
Format: Artikel
Sprache:eng
Schlagworte:
Online-Zugang:Volltext
Tags: Tag hinzufügen
Keine Tags, Fügen Sie den ersten Tag hinzu!
Beschreibung
Zusammenfassung:Interbreeding between species (hybridization) typically produces unfit offspring. Reduced hybridization should therefore be favored by natural selection. However, this is difficult to accomplish because hybridization also sets the stage for genetic recombination to dissociate species-specific traits from the preferences for them. Here we show that this association is maintained by physical linkage (on the same chromosome) in two hybridizing Ficedula flycatchers. By analyzing the mating patterns of female hybrids and cross-fostered offspring, we demonstrate that species recognition is inherited on the Z chromosome, which is also the known location of species-specific male plumage traits and genes causing low hybrid fitness. Limited recombination on the Z chromosome maintains associations of Z-linked genes despite hybridization, suggesting that the sex chromosomes may be a hotspot for adaptive speciation.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.1141506