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Ecological specialization correlates with genotypic differentiation in sympatric host‐populations of the pea aphid
Author(s) -
FRANTZ A.,
PLANTEGENEST M.,
MIEUZET L.,
SIMON J.C.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
journal of evolutionary biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.289
H-Index - 128
eISSN - 1420-9101
pISSN - 1010-061X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2005.01025.x
Subject(s) - biology , acyrthosiphon pisum , sympatric speciation , aphid , sympatry , gene flow , genetic divergence , genetic structure , ecology , host (biology) , population , evolutionary biology , aphididae , genetic diversity , genetic variation , botany , genetics , gene , homoptera , pest analysis , demography , sociology
The pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum , encompasses distinct host races specialized on various Fabaceae species, but the extent of genetic divergence associated with ecological specialization varies greatly depending on plant and geographic origins of aphid populations. Here, we studied the genetic structure of French sympatric pea aphid populations collected on perennial (pea and faba bean) and annual (alfalfa and red clover) hosts using 14 microsatellite loci. Classical and Bayesian population genetics analyses consistently identified genetic clusters mostly related to plant origin: the pea/faba bean cluster was highly divergent from the red clover and the alfalfa ones, indicating they represent different stages along the continuum of genetic differentiation. Some genotypes were assigned to a cluster differing from the one expected from their plant origin while others exhibited intermediate genetic characteristics. These results suggest incomplete barriers to gene flow. However, this limited gene flow seems insufficient to prevent ecological specialization and genetic differentiation in sympatry.