Reticulate phylogeny of gastropod-shell-breeding cichlids from Lake Tanganyika--the result of repeated introgressive hybridization.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The tribe Lamprologini is the major substrate breeding lineage of Lake Tanganyika's cichlid species flock. Among several different life history strategies found in lamprologines, the adaptation to live and breed in empty gastropod shells is probably the most peculiar. Although shell-breeding arose several times in the evolutionary history of the lamprologines, all obligatory and most facultative shell-breeders belong to the so called "ossified group", a monophyletic lineage within the lamprologine cichlids. Since their distinctive life style enables these species to live and breed in closest vicinity, we hypothesized that these cichlids might be particularly prone to accidental hybridization, and that introgression might have affected the evolutionary history of this cic

SUBMITTER: Koblmuller S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1790888 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature