Rapid evolution of post-zygotic reproductive isolation is widespread in Arctic plant lineages.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

The Arctic tundra, with its extreme temperatures and short growing season, is evolutionarily young and harbours one of the most species-poor floras on Earth. Arctic species often show little phenotypic and genetic divergence across circumpolar ranges. However, strong intraspecific post-zygotic reproductive isolation (RI) in terms of hybrid sterility has frequently evolved within selfing Arctic species of the genus Draba. Here we assess whether incipient biological species are common in the Arctic flora.

Methods

We conducted an extensive crossing experiment including six species representing four phylogenetically distant families collected across the circumpolar Arctic. We crossed conspecific parental populations representing different spatial scales, rais

SUBMITTER: Gustafsson ALS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8796670 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature