Interspecific hybridization explains rapid gorget colour divergence in Heliodoxa hummingbirds (Aves: Trochilidae)
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Issue Date
2023-03-01Author
Eliason, Chad M.
Cooper, Jacob C.
Hackett, Shannon J.
Zahnle, Erica
Pequeño Saco, Tatiana Z.
Maddox, Joseph Dylan
Hains, Taylor
Hauber, Mark E.
Bates, John M.
Publisher
The Royal Society
Type
Article
Article Version
Scholarly/refereed, publisher version
Rights
© 2023 The Authors. Published by the Royal Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.
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Show full item recordAbstract
Hybridization is a known source of morphological, functional and communicative signal novelty in many organisms. Although diverse mechanisms of established novel ornamentation have been identified in natural populations, we lack an understanding of hybridization effects across levels of biological scales and upon phylogenies. Hummingbirds display diverse structural colours resulting from coherent light scattering by feather nanostructures. Given the complex relationship between feather nanostructures and the colours they produce, intermediate coloration does not necessarily imply intermediate nanostructures. Here, we characterize nanostructural, ecological and genetic inputs in a distinctive Heliodoxa hummingbird from the foothills of eastern Peru. Genetically, this individual is closely allied with Heliodoxa branickii and Heliodoxa gularis, but it is not identical to either when nuclear data are assessed. Elevated interspecific heterozygosity further suggests it is a hybrid backcross to H. branickii. Electron microscopy and spectrophotometry of this unique individual reveal key nanostructural differences underlying its distinct gorget colour, confirmed by optical modelling. Phylogenetic comparative analysis suggests that the observed gorget coloration divergence from both parentals to this individual would take 6.6–10 My to evolve at the current rate within a single hummingbird lineage. These results emphasize the mosaic nature of hybridization and suggest that hybridization may contribute to the structural colour diversity found across hummingbirds.
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Citation
Eliason, C. M., Cooper, J. C., Hackett, S. J., Zahnle, E., Pequeño Saco, T. Z., Maddox, J. D., Hains, T., Hauber, M. E., & Bates, J. M. (2023). Interspecific hybridization explains rapid gorget colour divergence in Heliodoxa hummingbirds (Aves: Trochilidae). Royal Society open science, 10(3), 221603. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.221603
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