Disentangling the genomic intricacies underlying speciation and the causes of discordance between sources of evidence can offer remarkable insights into evolutionary dynamics.
The ant-eating spider Zodarion nitidum, found across the Middle East and Egypt, displays yellowish and blackish morphs that co-occur sympatrically.
These morphs additionally differ in behavioral and physiological features and show complete pre-mating reproductive isolation. In contrast, they possess similar sexual features and lack distinct differences in their mitochondrial DNA. We analyzed both Z. The genomic evidence indicated that Yellow and Black are reciprocally independent lineages without signs of recent admixture. Interestingly, the sister group of Yellow is not Black but Z. We conclude that the blackish and yellowish morphs of Z.
This investigation underscores the profound long-term effects that even modest hybridization events can have on the genome of organisms. It also exemplifies the utility of phylogenetic networks for estimating historical events and how integrating independent lines of evidence can increase the reliability of such estimations.
Keywords: Ancient hybridization; Mitochondrial replacement; Mitonuclear discordance; Phylogenetic networks; Spider genomics; Timing of introgression. Abstract Disentangling the genomic intricacies underlying speciation and the causes of discordance between sources of evidence can offer remarkable insights into evolutionary dynamics.
