Timing major conflict between mitochondrial and nuclear genes in species relationships of Polygonia butterflies (Nymphalidae: Nymphalini)



: Wahlberg N, Weingartner E, Warren AD, Nylin S

Publisher: BIOMED CENTRAL LTD

: 2009

BMC Evolutionary Biology

BMC EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY

: BMC EVOL BIOL

: 9

: 16

: 1471-2148

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2148-9-92


Conclusion: Studies inferring species-level relationships using molecular data should never be based on a single locus. Here we show that the phylogenetic hypothesis generated using mitochondrial DNA gives a very different interpretation of the evolutionary history of Polygonia species compared to that generated from nuclear DNA. We show that possible cases of hybridization in Polygonia are not limited to sister species, but may be inferred further back in time. Furthermore, we provide more evidence that Haldane's effect might not be as strong a process in preventing hybridization in butterflies as has been previously thought.



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