Meeting Abstract
Mitonuclear discordance can be caused by several evolutionary processes including incomplete lineage sorting, genetic polymorphism, and gene flow. Here we utilize the Incilius coccifer complex, a complex of three species (I. coccifer, I. ibarrai, and I. porteri) found throughout eastern Nuclear Central America that has had a history of taxonomic debate. By integrating mitochondrial DNA and nuclear loci from ddRADseq, along with comparative and integrative model testing, we have uncovered a more resolved population genetic structure amongst the three species that reflects the complex geography of the region, strong mitonuclear discordance between the lineages, and gene flow between populations of I. poteri within Honduras. We applied population clustering and phylogenetic inference to test hypotheses of population structure, as well as demographic analyses to test hypotheses related to population divergence and gene flow. Our results support the existence of three separate lineages within the complex, reflecting the current taxonomy; however, the lineage of I. poteri does not reflect the current recognized range of the species in Honduras. Our results also indicate the introgression within populations of I. porteri in central Honduras. Our results suggest that introgression and also divergence was most likely caused by range fluctuations due to past climatic instability.
