Leveraging eDNA to expand the study of hybrid zones.

ABSTRACT

Hybrid zones are important windows into ecological and evolutionary processes. Our understanding of the significance and prevalence of hybridization in nature has expanded with the generation and analysis of genome-spanning data sets. That said, most hybridization research still has restricted temporal and spatial resolution, which limits our ability to draw broad conclusions about evolutionary and conservation related outcomes. Here, we argue that rapidly advancing environmental DNA (eDNA) methodology could be adopted for studies of hybrid zones to increase temporal sampling (contemporary and historical), refine and geographically expand sampling density, and collect data for taxa that are difficult to directly sample. Genomic data in the environment offer the potential for near real-time biological tracking of hybrid zones, and eDNA provides broad, but as yet untapped, potential to address eco-evolutionary questions.