Phenotypic Differentiation between Three Ancient Hybrid Taxa and Their Parental Species

The primary requirement for a new diploid species to arise via hybridization is ecological divergence from its parental species. Ecological divergence protects the nascent hybrid species from competition with its progenitor species and may contribute to reproductive isolation. However, the means by which hybridization might facilitate the necessary adaptive transitions are poorly understood. Here, we report the results of a glasshouse experiment in which 42 morphological and ecophysiological traits were measured in three hybrid sunflower species (Helianthus anomalus, Helianthus deserticola, and Helianthus paradoxus) and their parental species (Helianthus annuus and Helianthus petiolaris). A surprisingly high proportion of traits were extreme relative to the parental species (24%, 20%, and 39% of traits in H. anomalus, H. deserticola, and H. paradoxus, respectively). Most of the extreme traits have previously been reported in the literature as adaptations to dune (H. anomalus), high-desert (H. deserticola), or high-salt (H. paradoxus) habitats. We propose that hybridization has contributed to ecological divergence largely via the generation of extreme traits in segregating hybrids, a commonly observed phenomenon called “transgressive segregation.”