Evolutionary analysis of Pinus densata Masters, a putative Tertiary hybrid - 1. Allozyme variation

Allozyme differentiation at 13 loci was studied in populations of Pinus tabulaeformis, P. densata, and P. yunnanensis from China. It was previously suggested that P. densata represents a Tertiary hybrid between P. tabulaeformis and P. yunnanensis. The observed levels of allozyme variation within and among the investigated species were comparable to those of other conifers. P. tabulaeformis differed markedly from P. yunnanensis with respect to allozyme frequencies, while P. densata was intermediate between the two putative parents. There was evidence of homozygote excess in embryos from all investigated species, as compared to Hardy-Weinberg expectations. The observed allozyme composition of P. densata conformed to earlier morphological and molecular evidence indicating hybrid origin of this taxon. It was proposed that fusion of gene pools from P. tabulaeformis and P. yunnanensis has led to adaptive evolution of a new species, P. densata.