Hybridisation was traditionally considered rare on coral reefs. However, a rapid increase in hybrid studies over the last 20 years has revealed that hybridisation on coral reefs is common and widespread. In this revie...Hybridisation was traditionally considered rare on coral reefs. However, a rapid increase in hybrid studies over the last 20 years has revealed that hybridisation on coral reefs is common and widespread. In this review, we summarise the growing body of evidence arising from studies on stony corals and reef fishes to verify the occurrence of hybridisatiori, and we examine the influence hybridisation has had on the enormous level of biodiversity present on coral reefs. We discuss the challenges of dis- tinguishing hybridisation from alternative hypotheses （e.g. incomplete lineage sorting）. This review also explores the evolutio- nary consequences of hybridisation, which range from increasing genetic diversity and the production of novel lineages that may outperform the parent species, to reverse speciation and extinction by genetic swamping. Instances of hybridisation can be natural or occur as a result of human impacts （e.g. habitat degradation） and distinguishing between these two very different causal me- chanisms is important for management. Currently, the legislative status of hybrids is unclear and hybrids are rarely protected in conservation programs. Failing to adequately manage hybridisation and hybrid lineages may lead to potential losses of evolutio- nary novelty, declines in phylogenetic diversity or species extinctions. To conserve existing coral reef biodiversity, and the processes that generate biodiversity, conservation policies must be re-defined and instances of hybridisation must be assessed and managed on a case-by-case basis [Current Zoology 61 （1）： 132 145, 2015].展开更多
文摘Hybridisation was traditionally considered rare on coral reefs. However, a rapid increase in hybrid studies over the last 20 years has revealed that hybridisation on coral reefs is common and widespread. In this review, we summarise the growing body of evidence arising from studies on stony corals and reef fishes to verify the occurrence of hybridisatiori, and we examine the influence hybridisation has had on the enormous level of biodiversity present on coral reefs. We discuss the challenges of dis- tinguishing hybridisation from alternative hypotheses （e.g. incomplete lineage sorting）. This review also explores the evolutio- nary consequences of hybridisation, which range from increasing genetic diversity and the production of novel lineages that may outperform the parent species, to reverse speciation and extinction by genetic swamping. Instances of hybridisation can be natural or occur as a result of human impacts （e.g. habitat degradation） and distinguishing between these two very different causal me- chanisms is important for management. Currently, the legislative status of hybrids is unclear and hybrids are rarely protected in conservation programs. Failing to adequately manage hybridisation and hybrid lineages may lead to potential losses of evolutio- nary novelty, declines in phylogenetic diversity or species extinctions. To conserve existing coral reef biodiversity, and the processes that generate biodiversity, conservation policies must be re-defined and instances of hybridisation must be assessed and managed on a case-by-case basis [Current Zoology 61 （1）： 132 145, 2015].
