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Evolutionary pathways driven by female mate choice : the curious case of the squalius alburnoides allopolyploid fish complex
Publication . Morgado-Santos, Miguel; Vicente, Luís A., 1955-; Magalhães, Maria Filomena, 1964-; Pereira, Maria João Collares, 1952-
Many asexual animals are sexual parasites that reproduce with sympatric species, leading to genetic, ecological and behavioural challenges. Several mechanisms allow the coexistence of sexuals and asexuals, and, over time, the latter may regain sexual reproduction and develop an independent reproductive dynamics, paving the way to the arising of new species through hybrid speciation. Mate choice may play a relevant role in all evolutionary stages of asexual organisms, either contributing to their persistence in hybrid state or routing them towards hybrid speciation. Here, we studied mate choice in the allopolyploid cyprinid Squalius alburnoides, namely its role in driving the evolutionary pathways of this hybrid complex. Bridging together genetic, theoretical and experimental approaches, we aimed at assessing: a) the role of mate choice in driving population stability or routing populations towards hybrid speciation; b) the influence of egg allocation, fertilization rate and offspring survival in shaping the reproductive dynamics and genomotype composition of populations; and c) the gameplay between mate choice by hybrid females and genetic introgression and variability. In the one hand, mate choice by hybrid females seems able to uphold the persistence of populations in their hybrid state by maintaining the reproductive dynamics between the interdependent genomotypes and sympatric congeneric species, and also by guaranteeing the maintenance of high genetic variability. On the other hand, when particular conditions are met, mate choice by hybrid females may also route populations towards hybrid speciation, namely via tetraploidization. The findings reported herein also include the first ever described case of naturally occurring androgenesis in vertebrates. In a general perspective, Squalius alburnoides’ hard-to-combine features challenge even the most conservative views about the role of hybridization in species’ diversification. Studying this allopolyploid complex is like looking at a snapshot of evolution and, undoubtedly, a privilege to every passionate evolutionary biologist.
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Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
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SFRH
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SFRH/BD/65154/2009