Abstract Detail

Systematics

Anghel, Ioana [1], Zapata, Felipe [2].

Close relatives in sympatry: is there evidence of contemporary or historical gene flow between species of Linanthus? .

The majority of the 25 species in the genus Linanthus occur in a geographically diverse area characterized by exceptional plant endemism. Half of the putative sister species overlap in range and seven species pairs co-flower and co-occur at a locally sympatric scale. Most species have a short life cycle, flowering and seeding in a span of a few weeks, before the hot dry summers characterizing the California desert climate. These geographic, phenological, and life cycle traits make it likely that co-occurring species interact ecologically, potentially competing for resources and pollinators, with ample opportunities for interspecific gene flow. With much of the diversification estimated at less than 7 Myo, it is plausible that reproductive isolation between species is incomplete. Indeed, previous phylogenetic work has shown that clades of species are poorly resolved, and several species are not monophyletic (Bell et al. 1999; Landis et al. 2018). These inconsistencies in previous phylogenetic analyses may indicate misidentification due to error, limitations of traditional taxonomic methods (Zapata and Jiménez 2012; Cadena et al. 2018), or a reticulated pattern of divergence (Mallet et al. 2016). To determine whether there is evidence of gene flow between any of the lineages or between populations that occur in sympatry, I am using RAD to sequence an average of 7 individuals per species, with a fourth of the individuals from populations with another co-occurring species of Linanthus. I will then use SNAQ and the D-statistic to determine potential cases of historical and contemporary gene flow across species.

1 - 3185 S Sepulveda Blvd #104, Los Angeles, CA, 90034, United States
2 - University Of California, Los Angeles, 621 Charles E Young Dr S, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States

Keywords:
Divergence with gene flow
phylogenetics
sympatry
species delimitation.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: COOLII, ASPT Cooley Award Talks II
Location: Virtual/Virtual
Date: Wednesday, July 21st, 2021
Time: 1:45 PM(EDT)
Number: COOLII006
Abstract ID:1098
Candidate for Awards:None