Increased fluctuating asymmetry in a naturally occurring hybrid zone between the stick insects Bacillus rossius rossius and Bacillus rossius redtenbacheri
1Department of Biological Sciences, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade, Building 1540, 8000 Århus C, Denmark
2Department of Human Genetics, Aarhus University, Wilhelm Meyers Allé 4, 8000 Århus C, Denmark
3Dipartimento di Biologia Evoluzionistica Sperimentale, Universitá di Bologna, Via Selmi 3, I-40126 Bologna, Italy
4Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Waszkiewicza 1c, 17-230 Białowieża, Poland
Abstract
The impact of interracial hybridization on fluctuating asymmetry (FA) and phenotypic variability (σ2p) in a presumed natural hybrid zone between the stick insects, Bacillus rossius rossius Rossi and Bacillus rossius redtenbacheri Nasceti & Bullini (Phasmatodea: Bacillidea), found on the Italian island Sardinia was investigated. The lengths of three bilateral traits and three unilateral traits were measured, and each individual was genotyped by five microsatellite loci. The genotypic data clearly confirmed the existence of the hybrid zone on Sardinia. A significantly increased FA was found in the hybrids when compared to both parental subspecies, which this study attributes to genetic incompatibilities in the hybrids. The increase in FA was not correlated with any increase in σ2p in the hybrids, which indicates that in this case σ2p and FA originate from separate processes.
Keywords: genetic incompatibility, hybridization, microsatellites, phenotypic variance
Abbreviations: DI, developmental instability; FA, fluctuating asymmetry; σ2p, phenotypic variability
Correspondence: a*biodha@biology.au.dk, bbiocp@biology.au.dk, cmarco.passamonti@unibo.it, dvalerio.scali@unibo.it, *Corresponding author
Received: 10 February 2009 | Accepted: 31 March 2010 | Published: 10 September 2010
Copyright: This is an open access paper. We use the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license that permits unrestricted use, provided that the paper is properly attributed.
ISSN: 1536-2442 | Volume 10, Number 147
Demontis D, Pertoldi C, Passamonti M, Scali V. 2010. Increased fluctuating asymmetry in a naturally occurring hybrid zone between the stick insects Bacillus rossius rossius and Bacillus rossius redtenbacheri. Journal of Insect Science 10:147, available online: insectscience.org/10.147
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