Meeting Abstract

P3.84  Sunday, Jan. 6  The impact of hybridization on morphological variation in Xiphophorus fish MACEDO, D.C.*; JOHNSON, J.B.; ROSENTHAL, G.G.; Texas A&M University; Texas A&M University; Texas A&M University dani.macedo429@gmail.com

Natural hybrid systems allow for the study of sexual and natural section as they may be responsible for populations that are free to evolve in novel directions. The hybrid system of Xiphophorus fish has been shown to be replicated in seven streams along an elevation gradient. The two parental species, Xiphophorus birchmanni and X. malinche, are found in different habitats, a factor that may explain the significant differences in morphology between the two species. To determine if these replicated hybrid zones have unique divergence, morphometric data of the parental species and hybrids was collected. Morphometric measurements were taken from digitized landmarks using R. This data was also used to elucidate the relationship between sexual and non-sexual traits and whether they diverge in alternate directions relative to each other. We expect hybrids to display greater morphological variation than parentals, in addition to greater among population variance relative to parentals. Given that the hybridization events occurred seven independent times, each hybrid zone is likely to have independent patterns of phenotypic variation.