Random mating in a hybrid zone between two putative climate-adapted bird
lineages with predicted mitonuclear incompatibilities
Abstract
Biochemical and evolutionary interactions between mitochondrial and
nuclear genomes (‘mitonuclear interactions’) are proposed evolutionary
drivers of sexual reproduction, sexual selection, adaptation, and
speciation. We investigated the role of pre-mating isolation in
maintaining functional mitonuclear interactions in wild populations
bearing diverged proposed co-adapted mitonuclear genotypes. Two lineages
of eastern yellow robin Eopsaltria australis—putatively
climate-adapted to ’inland’ and ‘coastal’ climates—differ by
~7% of mitochondrial DNA positions, whereas nuclear
genome differences are concentrated into a sex-linked region enriched
with genes with mitochondrial functions. This pattern can be explained
by female-linked selection accompanied by male-mediated gene flow across
the narrow hybrid zone where the two lineages coexist. It remains
unknown whether lineage divergence is driven by intrinsic
incompatibilities (particularly in females, under Haldane’s rule),
extrinsic incompatibilities, both, or other drivers. We tested whether
lineage divergence could be facilitated by non-random mate-pairing with
respect to partners’ mitolineage or nuclear Z sex-chromosome DNA
sequences, which differ between the lineages. We used field-, Z-linked-,
and mitolineage data from two locations where the lineages hybridize, to
test whether females mate disproportionately with (1) males of their own
mitolineage and/or bearing similar Z-linked variation, as might be
expected if hybrids experience intrinsic incompatibilities, or (2)
putatively locally-adapted males, as expected under environmental
selection. Comparing field observations with simulations provided no
evidence of non-random mating, thus the observed patterns consistent
with reduced female gene flow likely occur post-mating. Future tests of
female-biased mortality at different life stages and habitat selection
may clarify any mechanisms of selection.