Ancient hybridization fuels rapid cichlid fish adaptive radiations
University of Bern · Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology · +2 more institutions
Abstract
Understanding why some evolutionary lineages generate exceptionally high species diversity is an important goal in evolutionary biology. Haplochromine cichlid fishes of Africa's Lake Victoria region encompass >700 diverse species that all evolved in the last 150,000 years. How this 'Lake Victoria Region Superflock' could evolve on such rapid timescales is an enduring question. Here, we demonstrate that hybridization between two divergent lineages facilitated this process by providing genetic variation that subsequently became recombined and sorted into many new species. Notably, the hybridization event generated exceptional allelic variation at an opsin gene known to be involved in adaptation and speciation.…
Citation impact
- FWCI
- 59.89
- Percentile
- 100%
- References
- 80
Authors
6- JIJoana I. MeierCorresponding
University of Bern, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology
- DADavid A. Marques
University of Bern, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology
- SMSalome Mwaiko
University of Bern, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology
- CECatherine E. Wagner
University of Bern, University of Wyoming, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology
- LELaurent Excoffier
University of Bern, SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics
Topics & keywords
- Cichlid
- Fish <Actinopterygii>
- Biology
- Evolutionary biology
- Computational biology
- Fishery
- Zoology