Sociality and migration predict hybridization across birds

Abstract

Hybridization represents a natural experiment that can provide insight into processes of speciation and diversification. Though considerable research has focused on hybrid zone dynamics, macroevolutionary investigations of the factors that influence hybridization are few. Here, we compile a database of avian hybrids and perform comparative analyses to determine whether several social and life-history variables influence broad patterns of hybridization. We perform three main analyses: phylogenetic logistic regression to examine variables that are associated with the presence of hybridization, phylogenetic Poisson regression of only those species exhibiting hybridization to determine which variables are associated with the extent of hybridization, and a phylogenetic logistic regression on a subset of data to assess potential pseudoreplication. After testing several social and life-history variables, we found that social bond duration is associated with the presence and extent of hybridization. Specifically, lengthy social bonds are negatively associated with the presence and extent of hybridization. In addition to social bond length, migration is positively linked with a greater likelihood of hybridization. The broad-scale correlations between species-specific traits and hybridization across diverse avian lineages suggest commonalities in the fine-scale processes involved in mating with heterospecifics, which in turn has implications for how we think about, study and understand hybridization processes and their influence on evolutionary trajectories.

Research on Design Method of Product Functional Hybridization for Integrated Innovation

“…It is the process of matching the genes of each parent together to create new and more favorable genotypes. Biological hybridization can increase genetic variation and create characteristics that the parents do not originally have to promote the adaptation and persistence of the organism [15][16][17]. Taking advantage of biological hybridization and based on product integration, many scholars have proposed methods of product hybridization to achieve integrated innovation.…”

Development of InDel markers for interspecific hybridization between hill pigeons and feral pigeons based on whole-genome re-sequencing

“…In birds, various phenotypic traits—such as mating, foraging behavior, and migration—can act as pre-mating barriers or extrinsic post-zygotic barriers to successful interspecific mating 9 . In addition, low levels of social bonding and migration are associated with a lack of hybridization 10 . In recent years, climate change and anthropogenic habitat disturbance have been implicated in the dismantling of some barriers to hybridization 11 – 14 .…”