Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 9, 2026
10:16
Detection of Viral RNA by Fluorescence in situ Hybridization FISH
Published on: May 5, 2012
39.5K
Natural hybridization between divergent lineages in a selfing hermaphroditic fish
Andrey Tatarenkov1, Ryan L Earley2, D Scott Taylor3
1Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA tatarenk@uci.edu.
Biology Letters
|June 15, 2018
Summary
Hybridization is rare in self-fertilizing species like the mangrove rivulus. However, this study found natural hybridization between divergent lineages, producing viable offspring capable of self-fertilization.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Biology
- Genetics
- Ichthyology
Background:
- Highly selfing species typically exhibit infrequent mating and rare hybridization between divergent lineages.
- The mangrove rivulus (Kryptolebias marmoratus) is predominantly self-fertilizing, usually found as homozygous lines across its range.
- Two distinct genetic lineages, K. marmoratus and a Central clade, were not previously known to coexist.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate a case of natural hybridization between divergent lineages of the mangrove rivulus.
- To determine the directionality of the hybridization event.
- To assess the viability and reproductive capacity of the hybrid offspring.
Main Methods:
- Genetic analysis using mitochondrial and multiple nuclear markers.
- Phylogeographic analysis of K. marmoratus and related clades.
- Assessment of hybrid offspring viability and self-fertilization success over two generations.
Main Results:
- Discovery of sympatric co-occurrence of two highly diverged mangrove rivulus lineages on San Salvador, Bahamas.
- Identification of a natural hybrid resulting from a cross between these lineages.
- Demonstration that the hybrid individual was viable and successfully reproduced via self-fertilization for two generations.
Conclusions:
- Natural hybridization can occur even in predominantly self-fertilizing species with highly diverged lineages.
- Hybrid offspring in the mangrove rivulus can be viable and possess reproductive capabilities.
- The biological species concept (BSC) may be applicable to predominantly selfing organisms, challenging traditional assumptions.
Related Concept Videos
02:07FISH - Fluorescent In-situ Hybridization
24.5K
Fluorescence in situ hybridization, or FISH, was developed in the early 1980s and has quickly become one of the most widely used techniques in cytogenetics. Labeled probes are used to bind complementary DNA or RNA sequences on a chromosome or in a region within a cell. Earlier, the probes could only be obtained by cloning or reverse transcription of a DNA template. Currently, the probe oligonucleotides can be synthesized synthetically. Additionally, with the advancement of optical techniques,...
24.5K
02:29Hybrid Zones
22.0K
Hybrid zones are narrow regions where two closely related species interact, mate, and produce hybrids. Relative to either parent species, hybrids may possess distinct phenotypic or genetic differences that impact their survival and reproductive success. The genetic variances introduced by hybridization influence species diversity and speciation processes within the hybrid zone.
22.0K
02:32Osmoregulation in Fishes
53.2K
When cells are placed in a hypotonic (low-salt) fluid, they can swell and burst. Meanwhile, cells in a hypertonic solution—with a higher salt concentration—can shrivel and die. How do fish cells avoid these gruesome fates in hypotonic freshwater or hypertonic seawater environments?
53.2K
01:15Divergence and Curl
3.2K
The divergence of a vector field at a point is the net outward flow of the flux out of a small volume through a closed surface enclosing the volume, as the volume tends to zero. More practically, divergence measures how much a vector field spreads out or diverges from a given point. For an outgoing flux, conventionally, the divergence is positive. The diverging point is often called the "source" of the field. Meanwhile, the negative divergence of a vector field at a point means that the vector...
3.2K
01:06Divergence and Stokes' Theorems
3.7K
The divergence and Stokes' theorems are a variation of Green's theorem in a higher dimension. They are also a generalization of the fundamental theorem of calculus. The divergence theorem and Stokes' theorem are in a way similar to each other; The divergence theorem relates to the dot product of a vector, while Stokes' theorem relates to the curl of a vector. Many applications in physics and engineering make use of the divergence and Stokes' theorems, enabling us to write...
3.7K
02:37Gene Duplication and Divergence
8.0K
The seminal work of Ohno in 1970 popularized the idea of gene duplication and divergence. DNA sequence comparison studies reveal that a large portion of the genes in bacteria, archaebacteria, and eukaryotes was generated by gene duplication and divergence, indicating its critical role in evolution.
The duplicated copies of the gene are called Paralogs. Paralogs with similar sequences and functions form a gene family. Across several species, a large number of gene families are...
The duplicated copies of the gene are called Paralogs. Paralogs with similar sequences and functions form a gene family. Across several species, a large number of gene families are...
8.0K