The role of interspecific hybridization in adaptive potential at range margins

Is interspecific hybridization an ordinary part of species biology? And if so, how evolutionarily important is it? These questions have been discussed in the botanical literature, in one form or another, at least since J.P. Lotsy early in the last century. He coined the term syngameon, now defined as "a group of otherwise distinct species interconnected by limited gene exchange, i.e. the most inclusive interbreeding evolutionary unit" (Suarez-Gonzalez, Lexer, & Cronk, Biology Letters, 14, 20170688, ). North American poplars (Populus, Salicaceae) form one such syngameon. In this issue of Molecular Ecology, a new study (Chhatre, Evans, DiFazio, & Keller, Molecular Ecology, 27, ) uses three species from the North American poplar syngameon to tackle the twin issues of (a) the extent of gene exchange and (b) the significance of this gene exchange to the biology of these trees. They demonstrate that a hybrid zone exists where the ranges of Populus angustifolia and Populus balsamifera overlap in the Rocky Mountains, and postulate that this hybridization may facilitate population survival at the range edges. Indeed, the authors show that a remarkable number of loci are introgressing under selection. Very remarkably, they detect additional hybridity (making a trihybrid zone) with Populus trichocarpa (a species that does not occur in the area). Intriguingly, there is some genomic evidence of ancient introgression events. This suggests a model of episodic species divergence and hybridization, in which the syngameon is dynamic and behaving as a supraspecific metapopulation over geological time.