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Experimental contact zones reveal causes and targets of sexual selection in hybridizing lizards

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posted on 2023-05-18, 22:30 authored by MacGregor, HEA, Geoffrey WhileGeoffrey While, Barrett, J, Perez i de Lanuza, G, Carazo, P, Michaelides, S, Uller, T
  1. Divergence in sexually selected traits in allopatry should affect the degree and direction of hybridization. However, few studies have established the causes and targets of sexual selection during secondary contact.

  2. Common wall lizards (Podarcis muralis) from north-central Italy have highly exaggerated male sexual traits compared to populations in Western Europe. Using experimental populations, we show that this creates asymmetries in male dominance, spatial habitat use, and reproductive success upon secondary contact. Hybridization occurred almost exclusively between males of the Italian lineage and females of the Western European lineage.

  3. We provide evidence to suggest stronger ongoing selection on male sexual traits within the dominant Italian lineage. However, these same characters did not predict hybridization, and hybrid matings contributed little to variance in male reproductive success. Instead, most hybrid offspring were sired by Italian males displaying phenotypes associated with lower within-lineage reproductive success.

  4. Thus, highly directional hybridization arises because some Italian males are outcompeted within their own lineage but remain competitive relative to males of the other lineage.

  5. This pattern of hybridization is consistent with the direction of introgression in natural contact zones, but our data suggest that sexual selection acting through hybridization may be weak at the leading edge of natural hybrid zones.

History

Publication title

Functional Ecology

Volume

31

Pagination

742-752

ISSN

0269-8463

Department/School

School of Natural Sciences

Publisher

Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Place of publication

United Kingdom

Rights statement

© 2016 The Authors. Functional Ecology © 2016 British Ecological Society

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Expanding knowledge in the biological sciences

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    University Of Tasmania

    Categories

    Keywords

    behaviourhybridizationintrogressionmale-male competitionPodarcis

    Licence

    In Copyright

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