Asymmetric reproductive isolation between terminal forms of the salamander ring species Ensatina eschscholtzii revealed by fine-scale genetic analysis of a hybrid zone.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Ring species, exemplified by salamanders of the Ensatina eschscholtzii complex, represent a special window into the speciation process because they allow the history of species formation to be traced back in time through the geographically differentiated forms connecting the two terminal forms of the ring. Of particular interest is the nature and extent of reproductive isolation between the geographically terminal forms, in this case E. e. eschscholtzii and E. e. klauberi. Previous studies have documented infrequent hybridization at the end of the ring. Here, we report the first fine-scale genetic analysis of a hybrid zone between the terminal forms in southern California using individual-based Bayesian analyses of multilocus genetic data to estimate levels and direction

SUBMITTER: Devitt TJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3175475 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature