Ancestral introgression and dual mitochondrial capture shaped mito-nuclear discordance in sky-island skinks (Scincidae: Sphenomorphus )

Clicks: 22
ID: 332865
2026
Free PDF
Article Quality & Performance Metrics
Overall Quality
Not rated
Combines reader engagement with the AI quality analysis. This article has not been analysed, so there is no overall score — reader engagement is measured and shown alongside.
AI Quality Assessment
Not analyzed
Readership in this journal
Emerging

Ranked #115 of 291 articles by views in international journal of systematic and evolutionary microbiology

Most read Least read

Bar heights use a square-root scale. Only the 120 most-read articles are drawn; the journal has 291 in total.

Mint this article as an NFT
Not yet minted

Create a permanent, verifiable on-chain record of this article on the Scimatic Network. The NFT is held in your Journament account, and you can withdraw it to your own wallet at any time.

5 SUSD one-off · no wallet required
Sign in to mint
Abstract
Abstract Mito-nuclear discordance can obscure the interpretation of evolutionary history, particularly in fragmented systems where multiple processes can generate similar phylogenetic patterns. We investigated pronounced discordance between mitochondrial and nuclear genomes in two parapatric montane skinks, Sphenomorphus taiwanensis and S. luelaiorum, from Taiwan’s sky islands. Using mitochondrial sequences and genome-wide ddRAD-seq SNPs, we evaluated incomplete lineage sorting, introgression, and ghost introgression as alternative explanations, while assessing sex-biased dispersal, selection, and demographic history. Model-based analyses supported historical introgression between extant lineages but provided little evidence for ghost introgression. An expanded coalescent analysis favored bidirectional over unidirectional introgression. Genomic indices showed no consistent sex-biased dispersal, whereas mitochondrial selection signals were restricted to particular lineages. Coalescent estimates and forward simulations indicated that small effective population sizes could increase the probability of mitochondrial capture. We interpret the discordance as the outcome of ancestral bidirectional introgression followed by genetic drift in isolated montane populations, with selection potentially facilitating fixation under high-altitude conditions. These findings illustrate how gene flow and demographic processes in fragmented landscapes can generate persistent mito-nuclear discordance, underscoring the importance of integrating genomic and ecological evidence when interpreting mitochondrial phylogenies.
Reference Key
openalex_W7222923229 Use this key to autocite in the manuscript while using SciMatic Manuscript Manager or Thesis Manager
Authors Tzong‐Han Lin, Yu-Te Wang, Pei‐Chun Liao, Hung Ngoc Nguyen, Hui‐Yun Tseng, Si‐Min Lin
Journal international journal of systematic and evolutionary microbiology
Year 2026
DOI
10.1093/evolut/qpag191
URL
https://doi.org/10.1093/evolut/qpag191
Keywords Keywords not found

Citations

No citations found. To add a citation, contact the admin at info@scimatic.org

Comments

No comments yet. Be the first to comment on this article.