Recombination in Thermotoga: implications for species concepts and biogeography

Here we characterize regions of the genomes of eight members of the hyperthermophilic genus Thermotoga. These bacteria differ from each other physiologically and by 3-20% in gene content and occupy physically distinct environments in widely disparate regions of the globe. Among the four different lineages (represented by nine different strains) that we compare, no two are closer than 96% in the average sequences of their genes. By most accepted recent definitions these are different "ecotypes" and different "species." And yet we find compelling evidence for recombination between them. We suggest that no single prokaryotic species concept can accommodate such uncoupling of ecotypic and genetic aspects of cohesion and diversity, and that without a single concept, the question of whether or not prokaryotic species might in general be cosmopolitan cannot be sensibly addressed. We can, however, recast biogeographical questions in terms of the distribution of genes and their alleles.