Title
Distinguishing genomic homogenization from parapatric speciation in an elevationally replacing pair of Ramphocelus tanagers
Date Issued
01 November 2021
Access level
metadata only access
Resource Type
journal article
Publisher(s)
John Wiley and Sons Inc
Abstract
Geographically connected species pairs with weakly differentiated genomes could either represent cases of genomic homogenization in progress or of incipient parapatric speciation. Discriminating between these processes is difficult because intermediate stages of either may produce weakly differentiated genomes that diverge at few locations. We used coalescent modelling applied to a genome-wide sample of SNPs to discriminate between speciation with gene flow and genomic homogenization in two phenotypically distinct but genomically weakly diverged species of elevationally replacing Ramphocelus tanagers, forming a hybrid zone in the Andean foothills. We found overwhelming support for a model of genomic homogenization following secondary contact. Simulating under this model suggested that our species pair was differentiated (FST = 0.30) at secondary contact but that most of the genome has rapidly homogenized during 254 Ky of high gene flow towards the present (FST = 0.02). Despite extensive genome-wide homogenization, plumage remains distinctive with a narrower than expected geographic cline width, indicating divergent selection on colour. We found two SNPs significantly associated with plumage colour, which retain moderately high FST. We conclude that the majority of the genome has fused, but that divergent selection on select loci probably maintains the geographically structured colour differences between these incipient species.
Start page
5517
End page
5529
Volume
30
Issue
21
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Zoología, Ornitología, Entomología, ciencias biológicas del comportamiento
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85114353626
PubMed ID
Source
Molecular Ecology
ISSN of the container
09621083
Sponsor(s)
We thank Daniel Lane for sharing information of his personal observations of the hybrid zone location in our study site. We thank our multitasking taxidermist, Roger Barboza, and Reny for their valuable assistance during our field expedition. We thank Santiago Claramunt and the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) for their help in obtaining the Canadian import permit of samples. Funding was provided by a graduate fellowship from the National Secretariat of Science, Technology and Innovation (SENESCYT‐IFTH) from Ecuador (V.E.L.A), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Discovery Grant (RGPIN‐2016–06538), NSERC Discovery Accelerator Grant No. 49289, the University of Toronto Scarborough International Research Collaboration Fund.
Sources of information: Directorio de Producción Científica Scopus