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Review
. 2011 May;139(5):589-609.
doi: 10.1007/s10709-010-9530-4. Epub 2010 Nov 28.

Hybrid speciation in Heliconius butterflies? A review and critique of the evidence

Andrew V Z Brower  1
Affiliations
Review

Hybrid speciation in Heliconius butterflies? A review and critique of the evidence

Andrew V Z Brower. Genetica. 2011 May.

Abstract

The evidence supporting the recent hypothesis of a homoploid hybrid origin for the butterfly species Heliconius heurippa is evaluated. Data from selective breeding experiments, mate-choice studies, and a wide variety of DNA markers are reviewed, and an alternative hypothesis for the origin of the species and its close relatives is proposed. A scenario of occasional red wing-pattern mutations in peripheral populations of Heliconius cydno with subsequent adaptive convergence towards sympatric mimicry rings involving H. melpomene and H. erato is offered as an alternative to the HHS hypothesis. Recent twists of this tale are addressed in a postscript.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Phylogenetic relationships among species of the genus Heliconius, as inferred by Beltrán et al. (2007), with presence or absence of red wing pattern elements optimized (assuming accelerated transformation) on internal nodes (red = red; yellow = no red; striped = equivocal). Basal red dots on the ventral surface of the hindwing are not considered “pattern elements.” If the gain and loss of red pattern elements has occurred parsimoniously, it was present in the ancestor of the genus, lost at least six times, but unequivocally regained only once (in H. elevatus Nöldner). Note that this cladogram represents H. melpomene as a single terminal and thus does not reflect its inferred paraphyly discussed in the text
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Schematic summary of pre-and postzygotic isolation among H. cydno cordula (top left), H. melpomene melpomene (top right), and H. heurippa (bottom). Red arrows indicate isolation, green arrows indicate compatibility. Barred arrows indicate asymmetrical patterns
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Phylogenetic relationships of mtDNA COI–COII haplotypes. Strict consensus of 98 trees; length = 559 steps; CIx = 0.4846; RI = 0.9715. H. cydno and relatives form a clade embedded among various clades representing geographically separated groups of H. melpomene races. There is no implied introgression
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Phylogenetic relationships of Tpi alleles. Strict consensus of 174 trees; length = 612 steps; CIx = 0.6927; RI = 0.9685. H. melpomene alleles form a clade with H. cydno and relatives forming a paraphyletic basal grade. There is no implied introgression
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Phylogenetic relationships of Mpi alleles. Strict consensus of 236 trees; length = 777 steps; CIx = 0.7341; RI = 0.9442. While there are several clades containing only H. melpomene alleles, all clades containing H. cydno alleles also contain multiple H. melpomene alleles
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Phylogenetic relationships of Distal-less alleles. Strict consensus of 86 trees; length = 638 steps; CIx = 0.6201; RI = 0.9715. H. cydno and H. melpomene are not distinct due to two H. melpomene rosina alleles in the H. cydno clade. H. heurippa alleles are widespread in both clades
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
Phylogenetic relationships of Invected alleles. Strict consensus of 267 trees; length = 387 steps; CIx = 0.6655; RI = 0.9322. H. melpomene and H. cydno are not monophyletic with respect to the outgroup. H. heurippa alleles are distributed throughout the tree
Fig. 8
Fig. 8
Phylogenetic relationships of white alleles. Strict consensus of 8 trees; length = 351 steps; CIx = 0.7299; RI = 0.9343. Little resolution is evident among included species
Fig. 9
Fig. 9
Phylogenetic relationships of scalloped alleles. Strict consensus of 147 trees; length = 295 steps; CIx = 0.7677; RI = 0.9521. Little resolution is evident among included species
Fig. 10
Fig. 10
Phylogenetic relationships of 3′ kinesin alleles. Strict consensus of 3,488 trees; length = 1,852 steps; CIx = 0.4649; RI = 0.8723. Note that although the branch support (sensu Brower 2006) = 9 for the node leading to H. melpomene and H. heurippa alleles, that the H. heurippa alleles form a polytomy with and are not embedded within the H. melpomene alleles, contra Salazar et al. (2010)
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References

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