Speciation via species interactions: The divergence of mating traits within species

Conrad J. Hoskin, Megan Higgie*

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    114 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    A species may overlap with a mosaic of species across its geographic range. Many types of species interaction cause selection on mating traits, but their role in generating within-species divergence has been neglected. The pattern of reproductive character displacement (RCD) has been classically attributed to reinforcement, a process driven by selection against hybridisation. Recent reinforcement research shows that sexual isolation can result between displaced and non-displaced populations. We argue that RCD (and hence potentially speciation) among populations can be generated by a variety of fundamental species interactions beyond reinforcement. We unify these interactions under one process of mating trait divergence and speciation ('RCD speciation'). This process can occur in many geographic settings. Because selection is acting directly on mating traits, rapid speciation can result involving little differentiation in other traits. This pattern of diversification is seen in many groups and regions, and has previously been attributed to sexual selection alone.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)409-420
    Number of pages12
    JournalEcology Letters
    Volume13
    Issue number4
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Apr 2010

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