Hybridization, the interbreeding of individuals from genetically distinct populations, has been considered until recently a relatively rare event across animal species. However, it is with the development of molecular techniques that hybrids have been increasingly detected, suggesting hybridization may be a more widespread phenomenon than originally thought. Hybrids are not necessarily less fit and, under given circumstances, they may also bear more successful adaptive traits with respect to their parental populations. Hybrids can also re-integrate with parental populations by backcrossing, leading to various levels of introgression. Whereas natural hybridization is considered a positive evolutionary force and a source of evolutionary novelty, conservation-wise hybridization caused by human impacts (anthropogenic hybridization, AH) may threaten the genetic integrity of many wild plant and animal taxa. AH has been recently recognized as an increasing threat for biodiversity worldwide due to human induced changes in species abundance and distribution, removal of reproductive barriers, and introduction of non-native and domestic species. Conservation issues raised by AH may range from wasted reproductive effort in threatened, parental species, when the hybrids are sterile, to various degrees of genetic swamping when introgression takes place. We present a review of AH cases focusing on the hybridization between wild species and their and domesticated counterparts. By summarizing factors and conditions that most facilitate AH, we discuss the most relevant implications from both an evolutionary and conservation-wise points of view. In particular, we emphasize the importance of developing of demographic models to accurately estimate the current and future extent of admixture in parental populations in order to explore and accordingly identify the most appropriate management and conservation recommendations.
The dark side of hybridization: quantifying prevalence of anthropogenic introgression for conservation / Santostasi, NINA LUISA; Gimenez, Olivier; Ciucci, Paolo. - ELETTRONICO. - (2017). (Intervento presentato al convegno 7 congresso della società italiana di biologia evoluzionistica tenutosi a Roma, Italia).
The dark side of hybridization: quantifying prevalence of anthropogenic introgression for conservation
nina luisa santostasi
;Paolo Ciucci
2017
Abstract
Hybridization, the interbreeding of individuals from genetically distinct populations, has been considered until recently a relatively rare event across animal species. However, it is with the development of molecular techniques that hybrids have been increasingly detected, suggesting hybridization may be a more widespread phenomenon than originally thought. Hybrids are not necessarily less fit and, under given circumstances, they may also bear more successful adaptive traits with respect to their parental populations. Hybrids can also re-integrate with parental populations by backcrossing, leading to various levels of introgression. Whereas natural hybridization is considered a positive evolutionary force and a source of evolutionary novelty, conservation-wise hybridization caused by human impacts (anthropogenic hybridization, AH) may threaten the genetic integrity of many wild plant and animal taxa. AH has been recently recognized as an increasing threat for biodiversity worldwide due to human induced changes in species abundance and distribution, removal of reproductive barriers, and introduction of non-native and domestic species. Conservation issues raised by AH may range from wasted reproductive effort in threatened, parental species, when the hybrids are sterile, to various degrees of genetic swamping when introgression takes place. We present a review of AH cases focusing on the hybridization between wild species and their and domesticated counterparts. By summarizing factors and conditions that most facilitate AH, we discuss the most relevant implications from both an evolutionary and conservation-wise points of view. In particular, we emphasize the importance of developing of demographic models to accurately estimate the current and future extent of admixture in parental populations in order to explore and accordingly identify the most appropriate management and conservation recommendations.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.