[en] Cryptic phylogeographic diversifications provide unique models to examine the role of phylogenetic divergence on the evolution of reproductive isolation, without extrinsic factors such as ecological and behavioural differentiation. Yet, to date very few comparative studies have been attempted within such radiations. Here, we characterize a new speciation continuum in a group of widespread Eurasian amphibians, the Pelobates spadefoot toads, by conducting multilocus (restriction site associated DNA sequencing and mitochondrial DNA) phylogenetic, phylogeographic and hybrid zone analyses. Within the P. syriacus complex, we discovered species-level cryptic divergences (>5 million years ago [My]) between populations distributed in the Near-East (hereafter P. syriacus sensu stricto [s.s.]) and southeastern Europe (hereafter P. balcanicus), each featuring deep intraspecific lineages. Altogether, we could scale hybridizability to divergence time along six different stages, spanning from sympatry without gene flow (P. fuscus and P. balcanicus, >10 My), parapatry with highly restricted hybridization (P. balcanicus and P. syriacus s.s., >5 My), narrow hybrid zones (~15 km) consistent with partial reproductive isolation (P. fuscus and P. vespertinus, ~3 My), to extensive admixture between Pleistocene and refugial lineages (≤2 My). This full spectrum empirically supports a gradual build up of reproductive barriers through time, reversible up until a threshold that we estimate at ~3 My. Hence, cryptic phylogeographic lineages may fade away or become reproductively isolated species simply depending on the time they persist in allopatry, and without definite ecomorphological divergence.
Research Center/Unit :
FOCUS - Freshwater and OCeanic science Unit of reSearch - ULiège
Dufresnes, Christophe; University of Lausanne & Hintermann & Weber
Strachinis, Ilias; Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Suriadna, Nataliia; Melitopol Insitute of Ecology and Social Technologies of University “Ukraine”
Mykytynets, Galyna; Pryazovsky National Nature Park
Cogălniceanu, Dan; University Ovidius Constanţa
Székely, Paul; Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja
Vukov, Tanja; Department of Evolutionary Biology, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”
Arntzen, Jan W.; Naturalis Biodiversity Center
Wielstra, Ben; Leiden University
Lymberakis, Petros; University of Crete
Geffen, Eli; Tel Aviv University
Gafny, Sarig; Ruppin Academic Center
Kumlutaş, Yusuf; Dokuz Eylül University
Ilgaz, Çetin; Dokuz Eylül University
Candan, Kamil; Dokuz Eylül University
Mizsei, Edvárd; Hungarian Academy of Sciences
Szabolcs, Márton; Hungarian Academy of Sciences
Kolenda, Krzysztof; University of Wrocław
Smirnov, Nazar; Chernivtsi Regional Museum
Géniez, Philippe; University Paul Valéry Montpellier 3
Lukanov, Simeon; Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
Crochet, Pierre-André; University Paul Valéry Montpellier 3
Dubey, Sylvain; University of Lausanne & Hintermann & Weber SA,
Perrin, Nicolas; University of Lausanne
Litvinchuk, Spartak N.; Russian Academy of Sciences & Dagestan State University
Denoël, Mathieu ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de Biologie, Ecologie et Evolution > Laboratoire d'Écologie et de Conservation des Amphibiens
F.R.S.-FNRS - Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique WBI - Wallonie-Bruxelles International CCCDI‐UEFISCDI Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development SNSF - Swiss National Science Foundation
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