The Role of Environmental Heterogeneity in Maintaining Reproductive Isolation between Hybridizing Passerina (Aves : Cardinalidae) Buntings
Joint Authors
Thomassen, Henri A.
Carling, Matthew D.
Source
International Journal of Ecology
Issue
Vol. 2012, Issue 2012 (31 Dec. 2012), pp.1-11, 11 p.
Publisher
Hindawi Publishing Corporation
Publication Date
2012-02-09
Country of Publication
Egypt
No. of Pages
11
Main Subjects
Natural & Life Sciences (Multidisciplinary)
Biology
Abstract EN
Hybrid zones are useful systems in which to investigate processes important in creating and maintaining biological diversity.
As they are often located in ecotones, patterns of environmental heterogeneity may influence hybridization, and may also influence the maintenance of reproductive isolation between hybridizing species.
Focusing on the hybrid zone between Passerina amoena (Lazuli Bunting) and Passerina cyanea (Indigo Bunting), located in the eastern Rocky Mountain/western Great Plains ecotone, we examined the relationship between population-pairwise differences in the proportion of hybrids and environmental variation.
Models including environmental variables explained more of the variation in hybridization rates across the ecotone than did models that only included the geographic distance between sampling localities as predictor variables (63.9% and 58.9% versus 38.8% and 39.9%, depending on how hybridization was quantified).
In the models including environmental variables, the amount of rainfall during the warmest quarter had the greatest explanatory power, consistent with a hypothesis that P.
cyanea is better adapted to the mesic environments of eastern North America and P.
amoena is better adapted to the xeric habitats of western North America.
These results suggest that continued reproductive isolation between these species is mediated, at least partially, by differential adaptations to local environmental conditions.
American Psychological Association (APA)
Carling, Matthew D.& Thomassen, Henri A.. 2012. The Role of Environmental Heterogeneity in Maintaining Reproductive Isolation between Hybridizing Passerina (Aves : Cardinalidae) Buntings. International Journal of Ecology،Vol. 2012, no. 2012, pp.1-11.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-461235
Modern Language Association (MLA)
Carling, Matthew D.& Thomassen, Henri A.. The Role of Environmental Heterogeneity in Maintaining Reproductive Isolation between Hybridizing Passerina (Aves : Cardinalidae) Buntings. International Journal of Ecology No. 2012 (2012), pp.1-11.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-461235
American Medical Association (AMA)
Carling, Matthew D.& Thomassen, Henri A.. The Role of Environmental Heterogeneity in Maintaining Reproductive Isolation between Hybridizing Passerina (Aves : Cardinalidae) Buntings. International Journal of Ecology. 2012. Vol. 2012, no. 2012, pp.1-11.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-461235
Data Type
Journal Articles
Language
English
Notes
Includes bibliographical references
Record ID
BIM-461235