美国科罗拉多大学Sheela P. Turbek、康奈尔大学Leonardo Campagna等研究人员合作发现物种快速形成的机制。相关论文于2021年3月26日发表于国际学术期刊《科学》。

据研究人员介绍，行为隔离可以促进物种形成，并允许同时存在的生物之间其他生殖屏障的缓慢积累。

Title: Rapid speciation via the evolution of pre-mating isolation in the Iberá Seedeater

Author: Sheela P. Turbek, Melanie Browne, Adrián S. Di Giacomo, Cecilia Kopuchian, Wesley M. Hochachka, Cecilia Estalles, Darío A. Lijtmaer, Pablo L. Tubaro, Luís Fábio Silveira, Irby J. Lovette, Rebecca J. Safran, Scott A. Taylor, Leonardo Campagna

Issue&Volume: 2021/03/26

Abstract: Behavioral isolation can catalyze speciation and permit the slow accumulation of additional reproductive barriers between co-occurring organisms. We illustrate how this process occurs by examining the genomic and behavioral bases of pre-mating isolation between two bird species (Sporophila hypoxantha and the recently discovered S. iberaensis) that belong to the southern capuchino seedeaters, a recent, rapid radiation characterized by variation in male plumage coloration and song. Although these two species co-occur without obvious ecological barriers to reproduction, we document behaviors indicating species recognition by song and plumage traits and strong assortative mating associated with genomic regions underlying male plumage patterning. Plumage differentiation likely originated through the reassembly of standing genetic variation, indicating how novel sexual signals may quickly arise and maintain species boundaries.

DOI: 10.1126/science.abc0256

Source: https://science.sciencemag.org/content/371/6536/eabc0256