Japan's 2011 tsunami sparked fish hybridization, but species boundaries largely held
How are species boundaries maintained in the face of environmental disturbance?
How are species boundaries maintained in the face of environmental disturbance?
The short version
- This is not only a fundamental question in evolutionary biology but also an increasingly important one as human activities and climate change alter habitats and bring previously separated species into contact.
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What happened
The tsunami triggered by the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011 dramatically altered habitats along the Pacific coast of northeastern Japan. Otsuchi Town in Iwate Prefecture was struck by a tsunami exceeding 10 meters (33 feet) in height.
Why it matters
This brought the two closely related fish species into contact and resulted in interspecific hybridization.
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