Lepus, Linnaeus, 1758

Abstract, Wen-Juan Shan Zu-Rui Li Hui-Ying Dai Peng-Cheng Dong Yu-Cong Zhang Correspondence, 2024, Taxonomic status of hares (Lepus spp.) in Xinjiang, China (Lagomorpha: Leporidae): An integrative approach, Zoologica Scripta 53 (3), pp. 282-298 : 293-294

publication ID

https://doi.org/10.1111/zsc.12645

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03B10A2A-FFB8-CB48-FF83-A609FE09FAD4

treatment provided by

Felipe

scientific name

Lepus
status

 

4.3 | Hybridization and introgression of Lepus View in CoL in Xinjiang

Previous studies have found a large number of hybridizations and gene introgressions between hares, especially between L. timidus and other hare species such as Lepus europaeus , Lepus granatensis , Lepus corsicanus and Lepus castroviejoi ( Alves et al., 2003, 2006; Alves, Melo-Ferreira, Freitas, & Boursot, 2008; Fernando et al., 2018; Ferreira et al., 2021; Liu et al., 2011; Melo-Ferreira et al., 2005, 2012; Melo-Ferreira, Alves, Freitas, Ferrand, & Boursot, 2009; Thulin, Fang, & Averianov, 2006; Thulin, Jaarola, & Tegelstrom, 1997; Thulin, Stone, Tegelstrǒm, & Walker, 2006). In terms of morphology, hybrid individuals can show very similar morphological characteristics to non-hybrids, resulting in ambiguous classifications ( Giska et al., 2019; Liu et al., 2011; Ng et al., 2023; Wang, 2017). In terms of genes, introgression and even genetic variation affect the origin and adaptation of organisms ( Doebeli & Dieckmann, 2003; Seehausen, 2004). For fast-radiating species with short isolation times and differentiation, the reproductive isolation barrier between species may not be complete ( Bolnick & Near, 2005) , and hybridization and introgression occur more easily between closely related species ( Cui et al., 2013; Keller et al., 2013; Smith et al., 2018).

In this study, hybridization and introgression were discovered throughout the external morphological characteristics, skull morphometrics and molecular genetics at the whole genome level. In terms of morphology, we found it is hard to define some samples, or both types of two species, with transitional morphology. In terms of genetics, as previously reported for Lepus ( Silva et al., 2019; Smith et al., 2018), there is no monophyletic clade of species and subspecies in Xinjiang hares in the phylogenetic trees (Figure 4a). Notably, in some morphologically identified samples, the classification results based on genomic SNP were not consistent with that from morphology. For example, samples of L. tibetanus pamirensis clustered both in Clade B and C in the evolutionary trees (Figure 4a). Except for L. tolai lehmanni and L. tolai centrasiaticus , all other taxa had mixed lineages (Figure 4c). Although most unidentified samples had mixed lineages, parts of unidentified-YT and unidentified-YP have the pure lineages of L. yarkandensis . We will discuss this in detail.

First, we found hybridization between L. yarkandensis and L. tibetanus pamirensis . Lepus tibetanus pamirensis and hares from unidentified-YP and unidentified-KS showed transitional morphological features of two species or mixed lineages in molecular genetics. Geographically, these morphological or genetic crossbreeds came from the southwestern Pamir Plateau and the border areas between the Tarim Basin and Pamir Plateau, including Kashgar, Shule, Zepu, Akto and Wuqia (Figure 4c). These findings further demonstrate that overlapping or adjacent distribution areas are important prerequisites for species hybridization. Therefore, there is likely a hybrid zone between L. tibetanus pamirensis and L. yarkandensis along the bor- der between the Pamir Plateau and Tarim Basin, resulting in a degree of genetic introgression and indistinguishable morphological characteristics in the external morphology of these hares. With the southwestern Tarim Basin as a refuge (Ababaikeri, Zhang, Dai, & Shan, 2021; Shan, 2011), L. yarkandensis might have migrated and spread multiple times in its evolutionary history, causing hybridization between hares, leading to gene introgression and resulting in mixed relationships between hares in the southwest Pamir Plateau and its surroundings.

Moreover, hybridization likely occurs between L.yarkandensis in the northern Tarim Basin and sympatric L. tolai centrasiaticus , as well as between L. timidus and sympatric L. tolai lehmanni . Previous studies also found hybridization between the overlapping distributed L. timidus and L. tolai in northern Xinjiang, which was misnamed as ‘ L. capensis ’ in Liu et al. (2011). From the above results, we also found that the distribution of L. yarkandensis and L. timidus is expanding toward the north and southwestern Tarim Basin and the foot of the Altay Mountains, respectively. This may possibly result from harsh habitat conditions and food scarcity. Among the previously reported introgressive hybridization events caused by habitat invasion, well-studied cases cover certain species, such as the mountain hare from northern Europe, the Alps, eastern Europe and eastern Russia ( Giska et al., 2019; Melo-Ferreira et al., 2007), the Iberian hare ( Marques et al., 2017), European wildcats (Quilodrán, Nussberger, Montoya-Burgos, & Currat, 2019) and the snowshoe hare (Jones, Mills, Jensen, & Good, 2020).

Therefore, these results indicate hybridization between different hare species in overlapping or adjacent regions in Xinjiang. This extensive hybridization and the periodic introgression of genes (Alves et al., 2008) between hares are likely the causes of similarities in morphology and genetically mixed descent, which further lead to confusion in the classification of Lepus in Xinjiang.

In general, we explored the taxonomic status and phylogenetic relationships of hares in Xinjiang using a comprehensive examination of morphology and molecular genetics. Our findings can serve as a taxonomic basis for subsequent research of hares in Xinjiang, China. However, for hybrid zones identified in the present study, especially in the Altay Mountains of northernmost Xinjiang, sample numbers need to be increased in subsequent studies. Further study is required to determine the possible behavioural drivers of taxonomic assessment and introgressive hybridizations found herein .

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Mammalia

Order

Lagomorpha

Family

Leporidae

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