Reticulate Evolution

Abstract

The time when only biologists studied evolution has long since passed. Accepting evolution requires us to come to terms with the fact that everything that exists must be the outcome of evolutionary processes. Today, a wide variety of academic disciplines are therefore confronted with evolutionary problems, ranging from physics and medicine, to linguistics, anthropology and sociology. Solving evolutionary problems also necessitates an inter-and transdisciplinary approach, which is why the Modern Synthesis is currently extended to include drift theory, symbiogenesis, lateral gene transfer, hybridization, epigenetics and punctuated equilibria theory.The series Interdisciplinary Evolution Research aims to provide a scholarly platform for the growing demand to examine specific evolutionary problems from the perspectives of multiple disciplines. It does not adhere to one specific academic field, one specific school of thought, or one specific evolutionary theory. Rather, books in the series thematically analyze how a variety of evolutionary fields and evolutionary theories provide insights into specific, well-defined evolutionary problems of life and the socio-cultural domain.Editors-in-chief of the series are Nathalie Gontier and Olga Pombo. The Series is edited from within the Applied Evolutionary Epistemology Lab, more information on the lab is available at http://appeel.fc.ul.pt. This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made.Printed on acid-free paper Springer International Publishing AG Switzerland is part of Springer Science+Business Media (www.springer.com) v Although originally a systematic term associated with speciation by hybridization, this book exemplifies "reticulate evolution" as it occurs by mechanisms and processes of symbiosis, symbiogenesis, lateral gene transfer, hybridization or divergence with gene flow, and infectious heredity. These phenomena are currently taking up a prominent role in the evolutionary sciences. Almost on a daily basis, new and fascinat...

Inferring phylogenetic structure, taxa hybridization, and divergence times within rock voles of subgenus Aschizomys (Cricetidae: Alticola) using quaddRAD sequencing and a cytb dataset

“…In a number of studies, via this approach (or a similar RAD‐seq approach; Lecaudey et al., 2018 ; Nash et al., 2018 ; Sadanandan et al., 2020 ), the presence of reticulate evolutionary patterns, particularly introgression, has been convincingly shown in closely related species. Moreover, it has become more or less clear that evolution with a reticulate process is not an exception as traditionally thought but rather the rule and involves hybridization and introgression: the primary drivers of mito‐nuclear discordance (Gontier, 2015 ).…”