Abstract
Interspecific gene flow is a common phenomenon in Nothofagaceae species; however, the dynamics of introgression in hybrid zones remains largely unknown. We focused on two ecologically and morphologically different Nothofagus species from Patagonia, Nothofagus nervosa and Nothofagus obliqua. In a natural hybrid zone, we established two plots 280 m apart in altitude (ca. 1.9 °C difference in mean temperature), and two subplots which captured microsite variation (abundance and spatial distribution of species and predominance of wind direction). We used intensive sampling of individuals (2055, including adults and regeneration) and molecular genotyping of 6 highly species-specific nuclear microsatellites for the identification and classification of hybrids, based on estimates of ancestry and interclass heterozygosity. We evaluated the relative contribution of our sampling effects to variation in hybrid incidence and direction of introgression using generalized linear mixed effects models. We determined that introgressive hybridization occurs at a global rate of 7.8% and that variation was mostly explained by plots (frequency at low altitude was approximately twice that found at high altitude), while it was less influenced by subplots. The high altitude plot was dominated by late-generation backcrosses to N. obliqua (asymmetric bimodality), whereas the low altitude plot consisted of intermediate hybrids (unimodality) and showed asymmetry for introgression between subplots. Differences were not detected between adults and regeneration, suggesting early-acting reproductive isolating barriers. F1 hybrids occur at a global frequency of 3.8%, and are fertile, as the detection of first- and late-generation hybrids indicates.
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Acknowledgments
The authors thank Pauline Garnier-Géré for reviewing a preliminary version of the manuscript and offering helpful suggestions and comments. The authors thank Fernando Umaña from Laboratorio de Teledetección y SIG – EEA INTA Bariloche for the production of the maps included in this article. This research has been funded by Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA): Proyecto de Domesticación de especies forestales nativas PNFOR 044001 and Programa de Mejoramiento de Especies Forestales (PROMEF) BIRF 7520-AR.
Authors’ contribution
L.G. and V.E.M. conceived the experimental strategy and organized the funding. G.S. and V.E.M. performed the DNA extraction and genotyping of samples. V.E.M. carried out the population genetic and bayesian clustering analyses, and the identification and classification of hybrids. A.A. performed the statistical analyses (GLMM). V.E.M. wrote the manuscript, considering the contributions of all the other authors, who approved the final manuscript.
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Verónica, E.M., Georgina, S., Alejandro, A. et al. Pattern of natural introgression in a Nothofagus hybrid zone from South American temperate forests. Tree Genetics & Genomes 13, 49 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11295-017-1132-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11295-017-1132-1