Parasites contribute to ecologically dependent postmating isolation in the adaptive radiation of three-spined stickleback.

Spatial variation in parasitic infections is common, and has the potential to drive population divergence and reproductive isolation of hosts. However, despite support from theory and model laboratory systems, not much strong evidence has been forthcoming from the wild. Here we show that parasites a...

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Main Authors: El Nagar, Aliya, MacColl, Andrew D.C.
Format: Article
Published: The Royal Society 2016
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Online Access:https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/35567/
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author El Nagar, Aliya
MacColl, Andrew D.C.
author_facet El Nagar, Aliya
MacColl, Andrew D.C.
author_sort El Nagar, Aliya
building Nottingham Research Data Repository
collection Online Access
description Spatial variation in parasitic infections is common, and has the potential to drive population divergence and reproductive isolation of hosts. However, despite support from theory and model laboratory systems, not much strong evidence has been forthcoming from the wild. Here we show that parasites are likely to cause reproductive isolation in the adaptive radiation of three-spined stickleback. Adjacent wild populations on the Scottish island of North Uist differ greatly and consistently in the occurrence of different parasites that have substantial effects on fitness. Lab-reared fish are more resistant to experimental infection by parasite species from their own population. Furthermore, hybrid backcrosses between the host populations are more resistant to the parasites from the parental population to which they are more closely related. These patterns provide strong evidence that parasites can cause ecological speciation, by contributing to selection against migrants and ecologically dependent postmating isolation.
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spelling nottingham-355672020-05-04T18:06:42Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/35567/ Parasites contribute to ecologically dependent postmating isolation in the adaptive radiation of three-spined stickleback. El Nagar, Aliya MacColl, Andrew D.C. Spatial variation in parasitic infections is common, and has the potential to drive population divergence and reproductive isolation of hosts. However, despite support from theory and model laboratory systems, not much strong evidence has been forthcoming from the wild. Here we show that parasites are likely to cause reproductive isolation in the adaptive radiation of three-spined stickleback. Adjacent wild populations on the Scottish island of North Uist differ greatly and consistently in the occurrence of different parasites that have substantial effects on fitness. Lab-reared fish are more resistant to experimental infection by parasite species from their own population. Furthermore, hybrid backcrosses between the host populations are more resistant to the parasites from the parental population to which they are more closely related. These patterns provide strong evidence that parasites can cause ecological speciation, by contributing to selection against migrants and ecologically dependent postmating isolation. The Royal Society 2016-08-17 Article PeerReviewed El Nagar, Aliya and MacColl, Andrew D.C. (2016) Parasites contribute to ecologically dependent postmating isolation in the adaptive radiation of three-spined stickleback. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 283 (1836). p. 20160691. ISSN 1471-2954 Speciation; Divergent evolution; Local adaptation; Gasterosteus aculeatus; Parasites http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/283/1836/20160691 doi:10.1098/rspb.2016.0691 doi:10.1098/rspb.2016.0691
spellingShingle Speciation; Divergent evolution; Local adaptation; Gasterosteus aculeatus; Parasites
El Nagar, Aliya
MacColl, Andrew D.C.
Parasites contribute to ecologically dependent postmating isolation in the adaptive radiation of three-spined stickleback.
title Parasites contribute to ecologically dependent postmating isolation in the adaptive radiation of three-spined stickleback.
title_full Parasites contribute to ecologically dependent postmating isolation in the adaptive radiation of three-spined stickleback.
title_fullStr Parasites contribute to ecologically dependent postmating isolation in the adaptive radiation of three-spined stickleback.
title_full_unstemmed Parasites contribute to ecologically dependent postmating isolation in the adaptive radiation of three-spined stickleback.
title_short Parasites contribute to ecologically dependent postmating isolation in the adaptive radiation of three-spined stickleback.
title_sort parasites contribute to ecologically dependent postmating isolation in the adaptive radiation of three-spined stickleback.
topic Speciation; Divergent evolution; Local adaptation; Gasterosteus aculeatus; Parasites
url https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/35567/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/35567/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/35567/