A genomic assessment of species boundaries and hybridization in a group of highly polymorphic anoles (distichus species complex). Issue 11 (15th April 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: MacGuigan, Daniel J.; Geneva, Anthony J.; Glor, Richard E.
• Is Part Of: Ecology and evolution. Volume 7:Issue 11(2017:Jun.)
• Page Start: 3657
• Page End: 3671
• Publication Date: 2017-04-15
• Subjects: AFLP -- Anolis -- biogeography -- dewlap -- distichus -- species delimitation; Ecology -- Periodicals; Evolution -- Periodicals; 577.05
• DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2751
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2045-7758

Abstract

Abstract: Delimiting young species is one of the great challenges of systematic biology, particularly when the species in question exhibit little morphological divergence. Anolis distichus, a trunk anole with more than a dozen subspecies that are defined primarily by dewlap color, may actually represent several independent evolutionary lineages. To test this, we utilized amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLP) genome scans and genetic clustering analyses in conjunction with a coalescent‐based species delimitation method. We examined a geographically widespread set of samples and two heavily sampled hybrid zones. We find that genetic divergence is associated with a major biogeographic barrier, the Hispaniolan paleo‐island boundary, but not with dewlap color. Additionally, we find support for hypotheses regarding colonization of two Hispaniolan satellite islands and the Bahamas from mainland Hispaniola. Our results show that A. distichus is composed of seven distinct evolutionary lineages still experiencing a limited degree of gene flow. We suggest that A. distichus merits taxonomic revision, but that dewlap color cannot be relied upon as the primary diagnostic character. Abstract : We provide a novel genome‐scale perspective on a group of anoles with a rich history of study in evolutionary biology. Using recently developed coalescent‐based methods, we tested whether Anolis distichus is actually comprised of multiple independent evolutionary lineages that should be recognized as species. Our analyses revealed that there are currently seven distinct evolutionary lineages within the group recognized as A. distichus, and that dewlap color is not a reliable diagnostic trait for these lineages.