Article
Ecology
Ambre Ribardiere, Elsa Pabion, Jerome Coudret, Claire Daguin-Thiebaut, Celine Houbin, Stephane Loisel, Sebastien Henry, Thomas Broquet
Summary: Sexual barriers associated with mate choice are often linked with ecological isolation between species, but the strength of sexual isolation can be difficult to assess. In a study of two marine isopod species, sexual isolation was found to be strong regardless of the presence of ecological isolation, but was asymmetric and did not completely prevent gene flow between the species. This suggests that sexual isolation alone may not be enough for complete speciation.
JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sonal Singhal, Guarino R. Colli, Maggie R. Grundler, Gabriel C. Costa, Ivan Prates, Daniel L. Rabosky
Summary: The rates of species formation vary across different taxa and are affected by both microevolutionary processes and macroevolutionary patterns. This study demonstrates that population isolation has little influence on speciation rates in lizards and snakes, suggesting that other stages of speciation may play larger roles.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Nolwenn Decanter, Romane Normand, Ahmed Souissi, Catherine Labbe, Eric Edeline, Guillaume Evanno
Summary: Different sperm traits between Lampetra fluviatilis and Lampetra planeri can affect male reproductive success and gene flow. However, there is no evidence for cryptic female choice or postmating prezygotic barriers, explaining the partial reproductive isolation between the two lamprey ecotypes.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Yukie Sato, Satoshi Fujiwara, Martijn Egas, Tomoko Matsuda, Tetsuo Gotoh
Summary: This study confirmed the prevalent view on the evolution of reproductive barriers in haplodiploid spider mites and found variations and asymmetries in the degree of reproductive isolation, emphasizing the importance of reinforcement of prezygotic reproductive isolation through incompatibility and the role of cytonuclear interactions for reproductive isolation in haplodiploid spider mites.
BMC ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Hannah Justen, Abigail A. Kimmitt, Kira E. Delmore
Summary: Researchers filled the gap in literature by analyzing hybridization in natural populations using databases and case studies, indicating that citizen scientists underreport hybrids compared to experts. The results suggest that geographic range and cryptic hybrids need to be considered when estimating hybridization rates in birds.
Editorial Material
Ecology
Geoffrey E. Hill, Nicholas M. Justyn
Summary: Estimating per-individual rates of hybridization in wild birds involves challenges related to the definition of hybrid, distinguishing between shared DNA sequences and ongoing hybridization, the dangers of focusing only on known hybrid zones, and the implications of very low rates of per individual hybridization. Recognizing hybrids based on phenotype, quantifying ongoing between-species mating, and not prejudging which birds are presumed to engage in hybridization are important considerations in this field. Additionally, evidence for strong prezygotic sorting does not necessarily indicate that mate choice drives speciation.
Article
Ecology
Emily R. A. Cramer, Gaute Gronstol, Logan Maxwell, Adrienne Kovach, Jan T. Lifjeld
Summary: Saltmarsh sparrow and Nelson's sparrow differ in ecological niche, mating behavior, and plumage, but they hybridize where their breeding distributions overlap, resulting in substantial genomic introgression. Although few hybrids are currently produced, strong postcopulatory sexual selection on sperm cells may explain the divergence in sperm length between the two species in the hybrid zone. Sperm appears to act as a prezygotic barrier, while sperm from hybrids was unexceptional as a postzygotic barrier.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Kyle Christie, Linnea S. Fraser, David B. Lowry
Summary: Speciation is driven by reproductive isolating barriers, with prezygotic barriers generally stronger than postzygotic ones. Ecological divergence and extrinsic factors play important roles in plant speciation and species boundary maintenance.
Article
Ecology
Satomi Tsuboko-Ishii, Ronald S. Burton
Summary: This study found the presence of precopulatory behavioral isolation in tidepool copepod species, indicating that interspecific differences in behavior during the mating process can lead to mating failure. These findings suggest that prezygotic behavioral factors play an important role in the isolation of copepod species.
Review
Plant Sciences
Ludi Wang, Dmitry A. Filatov
Summary: Hybridisation between different species can result in maladapted or nonviable offspring due to genetic incompatibilities. Mating with close relatives or self-fertilisation can lead to inbreeding depression. Therefore, organisms need to carefully choose their mating partners to avoid both of these problems. In plants, pollen-pistil interactions play a crucial role in avoiding inbreeding and hybridisation with other species. This review focuses on the mechanisms of pollen-pistil interactions and their importance in maintaining species integrity.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Janelle B. Talavera, Emma Collosi, Meaghan Clark, Jeanne M. Robertson, David A. Gray
Summary: Divergence in mating signals often coincides with speciation. This study on two species of crickets reveals genetic divergence among populations, with prezygotic isolation potentially mediated by female behavior in mixed populations. Male mating songs were distinguishable but with small differences, and females from intermediate populations showed preference for certain songs, suggesting minimal prezygotic isolation in these species.
BIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Alexandre E. Peluffo, Mehdi Hamdani, Alejandra Vargas-Valderrama, Jean R. David, Francois Mallard, Francois Graner, Virginie Courtier-Orgogozo
Summary: Temperature can affect the morphology of genital structures, which may be relatively variable within a species, depending on the environmental context.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Antonieta Labra
Summary: Reproductive isolating barriers, particularly ethological barriers, such as scent discrimination, play a crucial role in the speciation process. This study examined the variation in scent discrimination between sympatric Liolaemus lizard species and found that there is a fast evolution of scents and/or their discrimination, potentially contributing to the high diversity of the genus. However, different species exhibited differences in the strength of population scent discrimination, suggesting that ethological barriers may evolve at different rates across species and disrupt species cohesion.
Article
Ecology
Katharine L. Korunes, Carlos A. Machado, Mohamed A. F. Noor
Summary: Inversions play a significant role in shaping divergence patterns between Drosophila pseudoobscura and Drosophila persimilis over different timescales. They contribute to segregation of ancestral polymorphism early in speciation, gene flow after the split of the two species but before the split of D. pseudoobscura subspecies, and recent gene flow between sympatric populations. These findings provide insights into the evolution of this classic system and caution for interpreting divergence measures in other systems.
Article
Biology
Tamal Roy, Kim Fromm, Valerio Sbragaglia, David Bierbach, Robert Arlinghaus
Summary: The study shows that size-selective mortality, typical in fisheries or populations facing heavy predation, does not lead to evolution of reproductive barriers. Gene flow between populations adapted to fishing pressure and those unexposed to such pressures can occur during secondary contact, aiding exploited populations in recovering from harvest-induced evolution.
