GENETIC DIFFERENTIATION OF POLISH POPULATIONS OF SOREX ARANEUS L. III. INTERCHROMOSOMAL RECOMBINATION IN A HYBRID ZONE.

Two parapatric chromosomal races of the common shrew (Sorex araneus) in Poland differ in their complement of metacentric arm combinations: hk, io, gr, nm (race IV), and hi, ko, gm, np (race II). In hybrids, these eight race-diagnostic metacentrics form two randomly segregating complexes. The first complex (C ₁ ) occurs in the form of a ring configuration ok/kh/hi/io, or a chain o/ok/kh/hi/i (when there is Robertsonian polymorphism of the element io). The second complex (C ₂ ) always takes the form of a six-element chain configuration r/rg/gm/mn/np/p. The C ₂ complex may be shortened to five or even four elements, when acrocentrics g, m and n are present. In the contact zone we found shrews of pure races (race II or IV), as well as hybrids with C ₁ or C ₂ complexes, and recombinants hi, ko, gr, nm. Complex heterozygotes are likely to suffer reduced fertility due to malsegregation at meiosis. However, the C ₁ hybrids with ring configurations occur with a high frequency throughout the contact zone. This suggest that their fitness is only slightly lowered relative to pure race individuals, in contrast to the hybrids with C ₁ or C ₂ chain configurations, which presumably have a more heavily reduced fertility. On the other hand, at the center of the zone there is a high proportion of recombinants, which, being chromosomal homozygotes, should display normal meiotic segregation. Furthermore, the high frequencies of recombinants within the contact zone should facilitate gene flow between the races. The occurrence of recombinants plays a similar role as the appearance of the maximum frequencies of acrocentric homozygotes described in several contact zones of S. araneus.
(© 1991 The Society for the Study of Evolution.)