Secondary contact rather than coexistence-Erebia butterflies in the Alps.

ABSTRACT: Secondary contact zones are ideal systems to study the processes that govern the evolution of reproductive barriers, especially at advanced stages of the speciation process. An increase in reproductive isolation resulting from selection against maladaptive hybrids is thought to contribute to reproductive barrier buildup in secondary contact zones. Although such processes have been invoked for many systems, it remains unclear to which extent they influence contact zone dynamics in nature. Here, we study a very narrow contact zone between the butterfly species Erebia cassioides and Erebia tyndarus in the Swiss Alps. We quantified phenotypic traits related to wing shape and reproduction as well as ecology to compare the degree of intra- and interspecific differentiation. Even though only very

SUBMITTER: Augustijnen H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9828779 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature