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Introgression across evolutionary scales suggests reticulation contributes to Amazonian tree diversity.

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Area of Science:

  • Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
  • Genetics and Genomics
  • Plant Sciences

Background:

  • Hybridization and gene flow are significant drivers of plant biodiversity, yet their role in Amazonia's tree flora remains understudied.
  • Previous assumptions suggested hybridization was rare in Amazonian trees despite species overlap.
  • Empirical evidence was lacking to assess hybridization's impact on diversification in this megadiverse ecosystem.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the occurrence and impact of hybridization in Amazonian trees using the Brownea genus (Fabaceae) as a model.
  • To determine if reticulate evolution, rather than just incomplete lineage sorting, explains gene tree incongruence in Brownea.
  • To provide empirical evidence on the extent of historical and recent gene flow among Amazonian tree species.

Main Methods:

  • Phylogenetic analysis using targeted sequence capture to identify historical introgression events.
  • Analysis of genome-wide variation using ~19,000 ddRAD loci to study recent hybridization.
  • Comparative analysis of introgression rates across the genome in sympatric Brownea species.

Main Results:

  • Extensive evidence of historical introgression events among multiple Brownea lineages was uncovered.
  • Gene tree incongruence in Brownea is better explained by reticulation (hybridization) than incomplete lineage sorting.
  • High shared variation and homogeneous introgression rates between sympatric Brownea species indicate persistent hybridization without strong selection against hybrids.

Conclusions:

  • Gene flow between Amazonian tree species occurs across different temporal scales, contradicting the notion of widespread rarity.
  • Reticulate evolution has played a role in the diversification of the Amazonian tree flora.
  • This study provides novel empirical support for hybridization as a factor shaping biodiversity in the world's most diverse forest.