Ecological divergence plays an important role in strong but complex reproductive isolation in campions (Silene)

New species arise through the evolution of reproductive barriers between formerly interbreeding lineages. Yet, comprehensive assessments of potential reproductive barriers, which are needed to make inferences on processes driving speciation, are only available for a limited number of systems. In this study, we estimated individual and cumulative strengths of seven prezygotic and six postzygotic reproductive barriers between the recently diverged taxa Silene dioica (L.) Clairv. and S. latifolia Poiret using both published and new data. A combination of multiple partial reproductive barriers resulted in near-complete reproductive isolation between S. dioica and S. latifolia, consistent with earlier estimates of gene flow between the taxa. Extrinsic barriers associated with adaptive ecological divergence were most important, while intrinsic postzygotic barriers had moderate individual strength but contributed only little to total reproductive isolation. These findings are in line with ecological divergence as driver of speciation. We further found extensive variation in extrinsic reproductive isolation, ranging from sites with very strong selection against migrants and hybrids to intermediate sites where substantial hybridization is possible. This situation may allow for, or even promote, heterogeneous genetic divergence.

Liu, XiaodongUppsala universitet,Växtekologi och evolution(Swepub:uu)xiali126 (author)
Hallander, EmelieUppsala universitet,Växtekologi och evolution,Swedish Board Agr, Jönkoping, Sweden(Swepub:uu)emeha136 (author)
Favre, AdrienGoethe Univ, Inst Ecol Evolut & Div, Dept Div & Evolut Higher Plants, Frankfurt, Germany; Senckenberg Res Inst, Frankfurt, Germany; Nat Hist Museum, Frankfurt, Germany (author)
Herforth-Rahme, JoelleSwiss Fed Inst Technol, Inst Integrat Biol, Zurich, Switzerland; Res Inst Organ Agr FiBL, Dept Soil Sci, Frick, Switzerland (author)
Widmer, AlexSwiss Fed Inst Technol, Inst Integrat Biol, Zurich, Switzerland (author)
Uppsala universitetVäxtekologi och evolution (creator_code:org_t)

By the author/editor: Karrenberg, Soph ...; Liu, Xiaodong; Hallander, Emeli ...; Favre, Adrien; Herforth-Rahme, ...; Widmer, Alex

About the subject

NATURAL SCIENCES: NATURAL SCIENCES; and Biological Scien ...; and Evolutionary Bio ...

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