New paper on sparrow hybridization by postdoc Jen Walsh: Jen just published a neat paper from her PhD work at UNH; study looks at the genetic interplay between hybridizing Saltmarsh and Nelson’s Sparrows and finds evidence for neutral diffusion of some regions; strong selection and local adaptation in other genomic regions; and directional introgression mediated by demographics and behavioral mate choice.
Citation: Walsh, J., W. G. Shriver, B. J. Olsen, and A. I. Kovach. 2016. Differential introgression and the maintenance of species boundaries in an advanced generation avian hybrid zone. BMC Evolutionary Biology 16:65.
