AVIS-IBIS

Birds of Indian Subcontinent

Hybrid speciation in sparrows II: a role for sex chromosomes?

Publication Type:Journal Article
Year of Publication:2011
Authors:ELGVIN, TOREO, HERMANSEN, JOS, FIJARCZYK, ANNA, BONNET, TIMOTHÉE, BORGE, THOMAS, SÆTHER, STEINA, VOJE, KJETILL, SÆTRE, GLENN-PETER
Journal:Molecular Ecology
Volume:20
Issue:18
Date Published:2011
ISBN Number:1365-294X
Keywords:birds, faster-X, homoploid hybrid speciation, multilocus analysis, Passer, Passer domesticus, Passer hispaniolensis, Passer italiae, Passeridae, Z chromosome
Abstract:Homoploid hybrid speciation in animals is poorly understood, mainly because of the scarcity of well-documented cases. Here, we present the results of a multilocus sequence analysis on the house sparrow (Passer domesticus), Spanish sparrow (P. hispaniolensis) and their proposed hybrid descendant, the Italian sparrow (P. italiae). The Italian sparrow is shown to be genetically intermediate between the house sparrow and Spanish sparrow, exhibiting genealogical discordance and a mosaic pattern of alleles derived from either of the putative parental species. The average variation on the Z chromosome was significantly reduced compared with autosomal variation in the putative parental species, the house sparrow and Spanish sparrow. Additionally, divergence between the two species was elevated on the Z chromosome relative to the autosomes. This pattern of variation and divergence is consistent with reduced introgression of Z-linked genes and/or a faster-Z effect (increased rate of adaptive divergence on the Z). FST-outlier tests were consistent with the faster-Z hypothesis: two of five Z-linked loci (CHD1Z and PLAA) were identified as candidates for being subject to positive, divergent selection in the putative parental species. Interestingly, the two latter genes showed a mosaic pattern in the (hybrid) Italian sparrow; that is, the Italian sparrow was found to be fixed for Spanish sparrow alleles at CHD1Z and to mainly have house sparrow alleles at PLAA. Preliminary evidence presented in this study thus suggests that sex chromosomes may play a significant role in this case of homoploid hybrid speciation.
URL:http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-294X.2011.05182.x
Short Title:Molecular Ecology
Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith