Séminaire Ecobio - Alistair Hockey (Univ Western Australia)

Chromosomal inversions and other recombination-suppressing mechanisms can lead to large, non-recombining haplotype blocks. Such regions restrict gene flow and can promote the accumulation of novel mutations, contributing to isolation within closely related taxa. While well-documented for allogamous species, their role in autogamous species remains underexplored.
In this seminar, I will discuss the contribution of inversions and haplotype blocks to genetic isolation in Cicer echinospermum P.H. Davis, a diploid, selfpollinating legume closely related to chickpea (C. arietinum L.). Cicer echinospermum is a relatively young species, having shared a common ancestor with C. arietinum approximately 95–127 KYA. Variations in interspecific hybrid fertility and meiotic chromosome pairing suggest the presence of multiple large chromosomal rearrangements. I explore the identification and characterisation of these rearrangements and their implications for species coherence and reproductive isolation.