Comparative assessment of genetic and morphological variation at an extensive hybrid zone between two wild cats in southern Brazil.

ABSTRACT: Increased attention towards the Neotropical cats Leopardus guttulus and L. geoffroyi was prompted after genetic studies identified the occurrence of extensive hybridization between them at their geographic contact zone in southern Brazil. This is a region where two biomes intersect, each of which is associated with one of the hybridizing species (Atlantic Forest with L. guttulus and Pampas with L. geoffroyi). In this study, we conducted in-depth analyses of multiple molecular markers aiming to characterize the magnitude and spatial structure of this hybrid zone. We also performed a morphological assessment of these species, aiming to test their phenotypic differentiation at the contact zone, as well as the correlation between morphological features and the admixture status of the individua

SUBMITTER: Trigo TC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4177223 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature