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Disassociation between weak sexual isolation and genetic divergence in a hermaphroditic land snail and implications about chirality
Author(s) -
GIOKAS S.,
MYLONAS M.,
ROLÁNALVAREZ E.
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.1420-9101.2006.01115.x
Subject(s) - biology , reproductive isolation , genetic algorithm , genetic divergence , evolutionary biology , ecological speciation , land snail , divergence (linguistics) , ecology , zoology , population , snail , genetic diversity , genetic variation , genetics , gene flow , linguistics , demography , philosophy , sociology , gene
Examination of the association between reproductive isolation and genetic divergence in a variety of organisms is essential for elucidating the mechanisms causing speciation. However, such studies are lacking for hermaphrodites. We measured premating (sexual) isolation in species pairs of the hermaphroditic land snail Albinaria and we compared it with their genetic divergence. We did not find substantial sexual isolation barriers between the species studied. The absence of strong sexual isolation between species implies its minor effect in the evolution of this genus, because distributional, population and life‐history characteristics of Albinaria make mate‐choice possibly redundant. Furthermore, we found disassociation between genetic divergence and sexual isolation, suggesting that they do not form necessarily a cause–effect duet. However, Albinaria voithii , the only dextral Albinaria species, shows strong sexual isolation against the other sinistral species. We discuss whether change in coiling either has triggered instantaneous speciation, or is an example of character displacement.