Pervasive hybridization produces contrasting outcomes in the Iberian chubs (Squalius spp.) Evolutionary Genomics and Bioinformatics

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The exchange of alleles between lineages through hybridization is increasingly recognized as a driver of diversity in nature. Yet, our efforts to characterize the prevalence and consequences of hybridization in natural systems often overlook highly differentiated allopatric species, seemingly because they are viewed as less likely to hybridize.

We investigated the prevalence and consequences of hybridization in such a system - the Iberian chubs (Squalius spp.) group of freshwater fish species with a mostly allopatric distribution across distinct environments and river basins.

We generated whole genome re-sequencing data from ~170 individuals from eight Iberian chub species. Our analysis uncovered three, potentially four, contrasting cases of hybridization, spanning different geographical and time scales. Overall, our results highlight the Iberian chubs as a promising system to study distinct outcomes of interspecific hybridization, and its role in both generating and potentially reducing biodiversity.