Rapid buildup of sympatric species diversity in Alpine whitefish.

ABSTRACT: Adaptive radiations in postglacial fish offer excellent settings to study the evolutionary mechanisms involved in the rapid buildup of sympatric species diversity from a single lineage. Here, we address this by exploring the genetic and ecological structure of the largest Alpine whitefish radiation known, that of Lakes Brienz and Thun, using microsatellite data of more than 2000 whitefish caught during extensive species-targeted and habitat-randomized fishing campaigns. We find six strongly genetically and ecologically differentiated species, four of which occur in both lakes, and one of which was previously unknown. These four exhibit clines of genetic differentiation that are paralleled in clines of eco-morphological and reproductive niche differentiation, consistent with models of sympa

SUBMITTER: Doenz CJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6194267 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature