Mallard Hybridization With Domesticated Lineages Alters Spring Migration Behavior and Timing.

ABSTRACT: Introgressive hybridization, the interbreeding and gene flow between different species, has become increasingly common in the Anthropocene, where human-induced ecological changes and the introduction of captively reared individuals are increasing secondary contact among closely related species, leading to gene flow between wild and domesticated lineages. As a result, domesticated-wild hybridization may potentially affect individual fitness, leading to maladaptive effects such as shifts in behavior or life-history decisions (e.g., migration patterns), which could influence population demographics. In North America, the release of captive-reared game-farm mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) for hunting has led to extensive hybridization with wild mallards, altering the genetic structure in

SUBMITTER: Bakner NW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11685176 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature