Contemporary intergeneric hybridization and backcrossing among birds-of-paradise.

ABSTRACT: Despite large differences in morphology, behavior and lek-mating strategies the birds-of-paradise are known to hybridize occasionally, even across different genera. Many of these bird-of-paradise hybrids were originally described as distinct species based on large morphological differences when compared to recognized species. Nowadays, these specimens are generally recognized as hybrids based on morphological assessments. Having fascinated naturalists for centuries, hybrid specimens of birds-of-paradise have been collected and the specimens kept in Natural History Collections. In the present study, we utilize this remarkable resource in a museomics framework and evaluate the genomic composition of most described intergeneric hybrids and some intrageneric hybrids. We show that the majority

SUBMITTER: Thorn F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11424083 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature