Do habitat use and parasitism lead to reinforcement in a flying squirrel hybrid zone
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Date
2020
Authors
O'Brien, Paul Philip
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Abstract
Northern and southern flying squirrels are sympatric in Ontario due to climate change. In this area of range overlap hybridization occurs. I investigated potential species barriers in this recent hybrid zone. First I examined whether divergence in microhabitat use through time would lead to reinforcement of reproductive isolation. I found microhabitat variables to be weak predictors of trap-level species presence and found no evidence of divergence between species over 18 years. I also found latitude to be the strongest predictor of species occurrence across sites. Second, I tested whether parasite-mediated competition via the parasite, Strongyloides robustus, could maintain species barriers. I found a weak negative effect of S. robustus on northern flying squirrels, but I found a low parasite prevalence in southern flying squirrels compared to northern flying squirrels. Further, I found no evidence that presence of S. robustus would lead to competitive exclusion of northern flying squirrels from woodlots through apparent competition with southern flying squirrels. Therefore, divergence in microhabitat use and parasite-mediated competition do not appear to contribute to reproductive isolation of flying squirrels in Ontario.
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Keywords
Glaucomys sabrinus, Glaucomys volans, reinforcement, secondary contact, microhabitat use, divergence, parasite-mediated competition, Strongyloides robustus, competitive exclusion, parasitism