The ubiquitous mountain hare mitochondria: multiple introgressive hybridization in hares, genus Lepus

• Type: Another Publication in an International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2008

Authors

Paulo C Alves (Author) FCUP; Jose Melo Ferreira (Author) Other; Helder Freitas (Author) Other; Pierre Boursot (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

Vol. 363

Pages: 2831-2839

ISSN: 0962-8436

Publisher: The Royal Society

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 100 Citations

Scopus - 101 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Natural sciences > Biological sciences

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-003-W7G

DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2008.0053

Abstract (EN): Climatic oscillations during the glaciations forced dramatic changes in species distributions, such that some presently temperate regions were alternately occupied by temperate and arctic species. These species could have met and hybridized during climatic transitions. This phenomenon happened for three hare species present in Iberia ( Lepus granatensis, Lepus europaeus and Lepus castroviejoi), which display high frequencies of mitochondrial DNA ( mtDNA) from Lepus timidus, an arctic/ boreal species presently extinct in Iberia. Here, we extend our previous geographical survey to determine whether the distribution of this mtDNA lineage extends beyond the northern half of the Iberian Peninsula, where it is found at high frequencies. We also review the taxonomy, distribution and molecular phylogeny of the genus Lepus. The phylogenetic inference reveals the presence of L. timidus- like mtDNA in several other hare species in Asia and North America, suggesting that the mitochondrial introgression observed in Iberia might be generalized. Comparison with the available nuclear gene phylogenies suggests that introgression could have happened repeatedly, possibly during different climatic transitions. We discuss demographic and adaptive scenarios that could account for the repetition in time and space of this spectacular phenomenon and suggest ways to improve our understanding of its determinants and consequences. Such high levels of introgressive hybridization should discourage attempts to revise hare taxonomy based solely on mtDNA.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 9