Comparative analysis of multiple hybrid zones of Rhododendron × duclouxii uncovered different potential evolutionary outcomes

doi:10.1016/j.pld.2025.04.005

Plant Diversity ›› 2025, Vol. 47 ›› Issue (06): 944-955.DOI: 10.1016/j.pld.2025.04.005

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Comparative analysis of multiple hybrid zones of Rhododendron × duclouxii uncovered different potential evolutionary outcomes

Wei Zheng^a,b, Li-Jun Yan^c,d, Kevin S. Burgess^e, Richard I. Milne^f, Han-Tao Qin^a,b, Shao-Lin Tan^a,g, Ya-Huang Luo^a, Jia-Yun Zou^a,h, Zhi-Qiong Mo^a,b, Michael Möllerⁱ, Chao-Nan Fu^a, Lian-Ming Gao^a,j

a State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, Yunnan, China;
b University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 10049, China;
c Center for Integrative Conservation & Yunnan Key Laboratory for the Conservation of Tropical Rainforests and Asian Elephants, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla 666303, Yunnan, China;
d Yunnan International Joint Laboratory for the Conservation and Utilization of Tropical Timber Tree Species, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan 666303, China;
e Department of Biomedical Sciences, Mercer University School of Medicine, Columbus, GA 31901, USA;
f Institute of Molecular Plant Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JH, UK;
g School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, Jiangxi, China;
h Forest Zoology, TUD Dresden University of Technology, Tharandt, Germany;
i Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, 20A Inverleith Row, Edinburgh, EH3 5LR, Scotland, UK;
j Lijiang Forest Biodiversity National Observation and Research Station, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lijiang 674100, Yunnan, China

Received:2024-10-26 Revised:2025-04-15 Online:2026-01-13 Published:2026-01-13
Contact: Lian-Ming Gao,E-mail:gaolm@mail.kib.ac.cn
Supported by:
This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, China (32300200, 31670213, 32160240); Postdoctoral Directional Training Foundation of Yunnan Province, China (E33O31C261), the Key Basic Research Program of Yunnan Province, China (202101BC070003), and the CAS President’s International Fellowship Initiative, China (2024PVA0087).

Comparative analysis of multiple hybrid zones of Rhododendron × duclouxii uncovered different potential evolutionary outcomes

a State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, Yunnan, China;
b University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 10049, China;
c Center for Integrative Conservation & Yunnan Key Laboratory for the Conservation of Tropical Rainforests and Asian Elephants, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla 666303, Yunnan, China;
d Yunnan International Joint Laboratory for the Conservation and Utilization of Tropical Timber Tree Species, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, Yunnan 666303, China;
e Department of Biomedical Sciences, Mercer University School of Medicine, Columbus, GA 31901, USA;
f Institute of Molecular Plant Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JH, UK;
g School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, Jiangxi, China;
h Forest Zoology, TUD Dresden University of Technology, Tharandt, Germany;
i Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, 20A Inverleith Row, Edinburgh, EH3 5LR, Scotland, UK;
j Lijiang Forest Biodiversity National Observation and Research Station, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lijiang 674100, Yunnan, China

通讯作者: Lian-Ming Gao,E-mail:gaolm@mail.kib.ac.cn
基金资助:
This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, China (32300200, 31670213, 32160240); Postdoctoral Directional Training Foundation of Yunnan Province, China (E33O31C261), the Key Basic Research Program of Yunnan Province, China (202101BC070003), and the CAS President’s International Fellowship Initiative, China (2024PVA0087).

Abstract

Abstract: The study of natural hybridization facilitates our understanding of potential adaptive mechanisms in evolution and the process involved in speciation. In this study, we used multiple data types, including morphological traits, ddRAD-seq and ecological niche data, to investigate the differences among Rhododendron×duclouxii hybrid zones and the mechanisms underlying natural hybridization and possible future evolutionary pathways. Our results show that the origins of each hybrid zone are independent, with variations in hybrid formation, structural characteristics, and patterns of genetic components and morphological trait differentiation. There were no significant differences in morphological traits or genetic variation between the F₁ and F₂ generations; however, the range of variation of the F₂ generation was broader than that of the F₁ generation. The distribution and ecological characteristics of R.×duclouxii did not significantly differ from those of the two parental species, indicating weak ecological niche preferences between the hybrid and parental taxa. These results imply that the hybrid zones of R.×duclouxii are characterized by considerable variability, with the magnitude of hybridization in each case likely influenced by unique combinations of biological and ecological factors specific to each hybrid zone. We predict that R.×duclouxii hybrid zones will persist and give rise to complex hybrid swarms, each potentially leading to different evolutionary outcomes.

Key words: ddRAD, Genetic structure, Hybrid zone, Rhododendron, Speciation

摘要： The study of natural hybridization facilitates our understanding of potential adaptive mechanisms in evolution and the process involved in speciation. In this study, we used multiple data types, including morphological traits, ddRAD-seq and ecological niche data, to investigate the differences among Rhododendron×duclouxii hybrid zones and the mechanisms underlying natural hybridization and possible future evolutionary pathways. Our results show that the origins of each hybrid zone are independent, with variations in hybrid formation, structural characteristics, and patterns of genetic components and morphological trait differentiation. There were no significant differences in morphological traits or genetic variation between the F₁ and F₂ generations; however, the range of variation of the F₂ generation was broader than that of the F₁ generation. The distribution and ecological characteristics of R.×duclouxii did not significantly differ from those of the two parental species, indicating weak ecological niche preferences between the hybrid and parental taxa. These results imply that the hybrid zones of R.×duclouxii are characterized by considerable variability, with the magnitude of hybridization in each case likely influenced by unique combinations of biological and ecological factors specific to each hybrid zone. We predict that R.×duclouxii hybrid zones will persist and give rise to complex hybrid swarms, each potentially leading to different evolutionary outcomes.

关键词: ddRAD, Genetic structure, Hybrid zone, Rhododendron, Speciation

Wei Zheng, Li-Jun Yan, Kevin S. Burgess, Richard I. Milne, Han-Tao Qin, Shao-Lin Tan, Ya-Huang Luo, Jia-Yun Zou, Zhi-Qiong Mo, Michael Möller, Chao-Nan Fu, Lian-Ming Gao. Comparative analysis of multiple hybrid zones of Rhododendron × duclouxii uncovered different potential evolutionary outcomes[J]. Plant Diversity, 2025, 47(06): 944-955.

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Comparative analysis of multiple hybrid zones of Rhododendron × duclouxii uncovered different potential evolutionary outcomes

Comparative analysis of multiple hybrid zones of Rhododendron × duclouxii uncovered different potential evolutionary outcomes

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