Multiple uprising invasions of Pelophylax water frogs, potentially inducing a new hybridogenetic complex.

ABSTRACT: The genetic era has revolutionized our perception of biological invasions. Yet, it is usually too late to understand their genesis for efficient management. Here, we take the rare opportunity to reconstruct the scenario of an uprising invasion of the famous water frogs (Pelophylax) in southern France, through a fine-scale genetic survey. We identified three different taxa over less than 200 km²: the autochthonous P. perezi, along with the alien P. ridibundus and P. kurtmuelleri, which have suddenly become invasive. As a consequence, the latter hybridizes and may now form a novel hybridogenetic complex with P. perezi, which could actively promote its replacement. This exceptional situation makes a textbook application of genetics to early-detect, monitor and understand the onset

SUBMITTER: Dufresnes C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5529583 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature