Genome-wide data reveal cryptic diversity and genetic introgression in an Oriental cynopterine fruit bat radiation. Issue 1 (December 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Chattopadhyay, Balaji; Garg, Kritika; Kumar, A.; Doss, D.; Rheindt, Frank; Kandula, Sripathi; Ramakrishnan, Uma
• Is Part Of: BMC evolutionary biology. Volume 16:Issue 1(2016)
• Page Start: 1
• Page End: 15
• Publication Date: 2016-12
• Subjects: Gene flow -- SNPs -- ddRAD -- Cynopterus sphinx -- Cynopterus brachyotis; Evolution (Biology) -- Periodicals; 576.805
• DOI: 10.1186/s12862-016-0599-y
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1471-2148

Abstract

Abstract Background The Oriental fruit bat genusCynopterus, with several geographically overlapping species, presents an interesting case study to evaluate the evolutionary significance of coexistence versus isolation. We examined the morphological and genetic variability of congeneric fruit batsCynopterus sphinx andC. brachyotis using 405 samples from two natural contact zones and 17 allopatric locations in the Indian subcontinent; and investigated the population differentiation patterns, evolutionary history, and the possibility of cryptic diversity in this species pair. Results Analysis of microsatellites, cytochromeb gene sequences, and restriction digestion based genome-wide data revealed thatC. sphinx andC. brachyotis do not hybridize in contact zones. However, cytochromeb gene sequences and genome-wide SNP data helped uncover a cryptic, hitherto unrecognized cynopterine lineage in northeastern India coexisting withC. sphinx . Further analyses of shared variation of SNPs using Patterson's D statistics suggest introgression between this lineage andC. sphinx . Multivariate analyses of morphology using genetically classified grouping confirmed substantial morphological overlap betweenC. sphinx andC. brachyotis, specifically in the high elevation contact zones in southern India. Conclusion Our results uncover novel diversity and detect a pattern of genetic introgression in a cryptic radiation of bats, demonstrating the complicated nature of lineage diversification in this poorly understood taxonomic group. Our results highlight the importance of genome-wide data to study evolutionary processes of morphologically similar species pairs. Our approach represents a significant step forward in evolutionary research on young radiations of non-model species that may retain the ability of interspecific gene flow.