Environmental factors associated with reproductive barrier breakdown in sympatric trout populations on Vancouver Island.

ABSTRACT: The incidence of hybridization between coastal cutthroat (Oncorhynchus clarki clarki) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) varies widely among populations. The breakdown of reproductive isolation is of concern to managers, and raises the question: how have the two species retained their genetic and morphological divergence? Using a combination of mitochondrial DNA and nuclear DNA markers coupled with watershed attribute and disturbance data, we determined the distribution and frequency of trout hybridization on Vancouver Island, BC and the environmental factors associated with the hybridization. We found 284 hybrids (among 1004 fish) in 29 of 36 sampled populations. High variation in levels of hybridization was observed among populations, and no single environmental factor was found to

SUBMITTER: Heath D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3352456 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature