Sex Chromosome-Linked Species Recognition and Evolution of Reproductive Isolation in Flycatchers

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 318; no. 5847; pp. 95 - 97
• Main Authors: Sæther, Stein A, Sætre, Glenn-Peter, Borge, Thomas, Wiley, Chris, Svedin, Nina, Andersson, Gunilla, Veen, Thor, Haavie, Jon, Servedio, Maria R, Bureš, Stanislav, Král, Miroslav, Hjernquist, Mårten B, Gustafsson, Lars, Träff, Johan, Qvarnström, Anna
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Association for the Advancement of Science 05.10.2007; The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: Adaptation; Adaptive response; Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Autoecology; Aves; Biologi; Biological and medical sciences; Biological Evolution; Biology; Birds; Chromosomes; Evolution; Feathers; Female; Female animals; Ficedula; Ficedula albicollis; Ficedula hypoleuca; Flycatchers; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene Flow; Genes; Genetic hybridization; Genetic inheritance; Genetic Linkage; Genetic recombination; Genetic Speciation; Genetics of eukaryotes. Biological and molecular evolution; Hybridity; Hybridization; Hybridization, Genetic; Interspecific hybridization; Intraspecific recognition; Male; Male animals; Mate selection; Mating; Mating behavior; Mating Preference, Animal; NATURAL SCIENCES; Natural selection; NATURVETENSKAP; Phenotypic traits; Recombination, Genetic; Reproduction; Reproductive isolation; Sex chromosome; Sex chromosomes; Sex Chromosomes - genetics; Sexual behavior; Sexual Behavior, Animal; Songbirds - anatomy & histology; Songbirds - genetics; Songbirds - physiology; Speciation; Species specificity; Vertebrata; Ficedula albicollis; Ficedula hypoleuca; Reproductive isolation; Intraspecific recognition; Sexual behavior; Sex chromosome; Adaptive response; Mate selection; Species specificity; Natural selection; Mating; Vertebrata; Reproduction; Interspecific hybridization; Aves; Speciation
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.1141506

Interbreeding between species (hybridization) typically produces unfit offspring. Reduced hybridization should therefore be favored by natural selection. However, this is difficult to accomplish because hybridization also sets the stage for genetic recombination to dissociate species-specific traits from the preferences for them. Here we show that this association is maintained by physical linkage (on the same chromosome) in two hybridizing Ficedula flycatchers. By analyzing the mating patterns of female hybrids and cross-fostered offspring, we demonstrate that species recognition is inherited on the Z chromosome, which is also the known location of species-specific male plumage traits and genes causing low hybrid fitness. Limited recombination on the Z chromosome maintains associations of Z-linked genes despite hybridization, suggesting that the sex chromosomes may be a hotspot for adaptive speciation.