Dissection by genomic and plumage variation of a geographically complex hybrid zone between two Australian non-sister parrot species, Platycercus adscitus and Platycercus eximius.

The study of hybrid zones advances understanding of the speciation process, and approaches incorporating genomic data are increasingly used to draw significant conclusions about the impact of hybridisation. Despite the progress made, the complex interplay of factors that can lead to substantially variable hybridisation outcomes are still not well understood, and many systems and/or groups remain comparatively poorly studied. Our study aims to broaden the literature on avian hybrid zones, investigating a potentially geographically and temporally complex putative hybrid zone between two native Australian non-sister parrot species, the pale-headed and eastern rosellas (Platycercus adscitus and Platycercus eximius, respectively). We analysed six plumage traits and >1400 RADseq loci and detected hybrid individuals and an unexpectedly complex geographic structure. The hybrid zone is larger than previously described due to either observer bias or its movement over recent decades. It comprises different subregions where genetic and plumage signals of admixture vary markedly in their concordance. Evidence of contemporary hybridisation (later generation and backcrossed individuals) both within and beyond the previously defined zone, when coupled with a lack of F1 hybrids and differential patterns of introgression among potentially diagnostic loci, indicates a lack of post-zygotic barriers to gene flow between species. Despite ongoing gene flow, species boundaries are likely maintained largely by strong pre-mating barriers. These findings are discussed in detail and future avenues for research into this system are proposed, which would be of benefit to the speciation and hybrid zone literature.

Phylogenetic analysis of the Australian rosella parrots (Platycercus) reveals discordance among molecules and plumage.

Relationships and species limits among the colourful Australian parrots known as rosellas (Platycercus) are contentious because of poorly understood patterns of parapatry, sympatry and hybridization as well as complex patterns of geographical replacement of phenotypic forms. Two subgenera are, however, conventionally recognised: Platycercus comprises the blue-cheeked crimson rosella complex (Crimson Rosella P. elegans and Green Rosella P. caledonicus), and Violania contains the remaining four currently recognised species (Pale-headed Rosella P. adscitus, Eastern Rosella P. eximius, Northern Rosella P. venustus, and Western Rosella P. icterotis). We used phylogenetic analysis of ten loci (one mitochondrial, eight autosomal and one z-linked) and several individuals per nominal species primarily to examine relationships within the subgenera, especially the relationships and species limits within Violania. Of these, P. adscitus and P. eximius have long been considered sister species or conspecific due to a morphology-based hybrid zone and an early phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial DNA restriction fragment length polymorphisms. The multilocus phylogenetic analysis presented here supports an alternative hypothesis aligning P. adscitus and P. venustus as sister species. Using divergence rates published in other avian studies, we estimated the divergence between P. venustus and P. adscitus at 0.0148-0.6124MYA and that between the P. adscitus/P. venustus ancestor and P. eximius earlier at 0.1617-1.0816MYA, both within the Pleistocene. Discordant topologies among gene and species trees are discussed and proposed to be the result of historical gene flow and/or incomplete lineage sorting (ILS). In particular, we suggest that discordance between mitochondrial and nuclear data may be the result of asymmetrical mitochondrial introgression from P. adscitus into P. eximius. The biogeographical implications of our findings are discussed relative to similarly distributed groups of birds.

Indirect estimates of natal dispersal distance from genetic data in a stream-dwelling fish (Mogurnda adspersa).

Recent work has highlighted the need to account for hierarchical patterns of genetic structure when estimating evolutionary and ecological parameters of interest. This caution is particularly relevant to studies of riverine organisms, where hierarchical structure appears to be commonplace. Here, we indirectly estimate dispersal distance in a hierarchically structured freshwater fish, Mogurnda adspersa. Microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) data were obtained for 443 individuals across 27 sites separated by an average of 1.3 km within creeks of southeastern Queensland, Australia. Significant genetic structure was found among sites (mtDNA Φ(ST) = 0.508; microsatellite F(ST) = 0.225, F'(ST) = 0.340). Various clustering methods produced congruent patterns of hierarchical structure reflecting stream architecture. Partial mantel tests identified contiguous sets of sample sites where isolation by distance (IBD) explained F(ST) variation without significant contribution of hierarchical structure. Analysis of mean natal dispersal distance (σ) within sets of IBD-linked sample sites suggested most dispersal occurs over less than 1 km, and the average effective density (D(e)) was estimated at 11.5 individuals km(-1); indicating sedentary behavior and small effective population size are responsible for the remarkable patterns of genetic structure observed. Our results demonstrate that Rousset's regression-based method is applicable to estimating the scale of dispersal in riverine organisms and that identifying contiguous populations that satisfy the assumptions of this model is achievable with genetic clustering methods and partial correlations.