Genomics Commons^™

A Comparison Of Divergence In Non-Introgressing Genes Across A Chickadee Hybrid Zone, Eliana K. Lowe

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Hybridization between species plays a very important role in the overall evolutionary history of many taxa. The study of hybrid zones can also provide insight into how species are responding to environmental factors such as climate change and changes in species interactions. The hybrid zone between the northern black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) and the southern Carolina chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) provides an insight into how hybridization is affecting two distinct species. Black-capped and Carolina hybrids have reduced fitness in the wild. Hybrids tend to have higher basal metabolic rates, less muscle growth, and less neuron growth to …