Hybridization and massive mtDNA unidirectional introgression between the closely related Neotropical toads Rhinella marina and R. schneideri inferred from mtDNA and nuclear markers.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The classical perspective that interspecific hybridization in animals is rare has been changing due to a growing list of empirical examples showing the occurrence of gene flow between closely related species. Using sequence data from cyt b mitochondrial gene and three intron nuclear genes (RPL9, c-myc, and RPL3) we investigated patterns of nucleotide polymorphism and divergence between two closely related toad species R. marina and R. schneideri. By comparing levels of differentiation at nuclear and mtDNA levels we were able to describe patterns of introgression and infer the history of hybridization between these species.

Results

All nuclear loci are essentially concordant in revealing two well differentiated groups of haplotypes, corresponding to the morphologic

SUBMITTER: Sequeira F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3192708 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature