Open AccessPatterns of hybridization in a multispecies hybrid zone in the R anunculus cantoniensis complex ( R anunculaceae)
Author(s) -
Li Tongjian,
Xu Lingling,
Liao Liang,
Deng Huisheng,
Han Xingjie
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
botanical journal of the linnean society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.872
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1095-8339
pISSN - 0024-4074
DOI - 10.1111/boj.12113
Subject(s) - biology , internal transcribed spacer , reproductive isolation , ranunculaceae , nuclear dna , hybrid , ribosomal dna , nuclear gene , hybrid zone , salamandridae , gene flow , taxon , evolutionary biology , plastid , mitochondrial dna , ribosomal rna , botany , zoology , phylogenetic tree , genetics , gene , genetic variation , population , caudata , demography , chloroplast , sociology
Simultaneous hybridizations among three or more parental taxa occur in nature, but these have rarely been analysed. The present study investigates the natural hybridization of diploid members of the R anunculus cantoniensis complex over a microgeographical area in south‐western C hina. Sequence information from maternally inherited plastid DNA ( trn Q ‐rps16 and rp L 32‐trn L ) and biparentally inherited nuclear ribosomal DNA was used to identify hybrids, and these were further confirmed by a dramatic reduction in pollen viability. The populations from the contact zone contained individuals that had more than two nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer ( nrITS ) types; in addition, a network analysis revealed the presence of hard conflicts between the nuclear and plastid DNA data. These results prove that R . trigonus and R . silerifolius var. dolicanthus have relatively little reproductive isolation from each other, leading to a high gene flow rate in contact populations. The four investigated species can hybridize with each other in this contact zone, forming seven hybrid types. © 2014 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2014, 174 , 227–239.