Assessing phylogeographic patterns and levels of introgression in the Iberian hare, Lepus granatensis

The Iberian Peninsula is renowned for its high level of biodiversity and number of endemic animal and plant species, and also as one of the main european refugial areas during glaciations. This has been demonstrated by some phylogeographic studies in different organisms, such as wild rabbit, golden striped salamander, brown trout, natterjack toad, european grasshopper, and mediterranean ragwort. The genus Lepus also follows this pattern, as two of the five European species are endemic to this region, the Iberian hare, L. granatensis, and the broom hare L. castroviejoi. However, the phylogeographic patterns and the phylogenetic relationships between the three species currently inhabiting the Iberian Peninsula are not well known (the two endemisms and the Brown hare, L europaeus). Recent data obtained by our group, suggest mtDNA introgression from mountain hares (L. timidus) into Iberian hares.

Yet the latter is absent from the Iberian Peninsula since the end of the last ice age. Interestingly, so far no indication of mtDNA introgression from the Brown hare into the Iberian hare was found, despite an extensive contact zone of these two species in the north of Iberia.

With this project we propose to analyse the distribution of genetic variability and evolutionary history of the Iberian hare, considering the putative multiple (ancient and recent) introgression events from other hare species. To assess the effect of introgression we intend to study both mtDNA and nuclear genes of hares from Iberia with standard molecular techniques. We will focus on the genetic make-up of the current overlap zones among hare species in northern Iberia. The analysis of the geographic distribution of species specific mitochondrial and nuclear haplotypes will allow the identification of the directions and extent of introgression events as well as their age.