Eco-Geography and Phenology Are the Major Drivers of Reproductive Isolation in the Royal Irises, a Species Complex in the Course of Speciation

ABSTRACT: The continuous nature of speciation implies that different species are found at different stages of divergence, from no- to complete reproductive isolation. This process and its underlying mechanisms are best viewed in incipient species. Moreover, the species complex can offer unique insight into how reproductive isolation (RI) has evolved. The royal irises (Iris section Oncocyclus) are a young group of species in the course of speciation, providing an ideal system for speciation study. We quantified pre- and post-zygotic reproductive barriers between the eight Israeli species of this complex and estimated the total RI among them. We tested for both pre-pollination and post-pollination reproductive barriers. Pre-pollination barriers, i.e., eco-geographic divergence and phenological differe

SUBMITTER: Osmolovsky I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9739335 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature