The roles of geography, climate and sexual selection in driving divergence among insect populations on mountaintops

摘要: AIM: Analysing the drivers of intraspecific variation and how reproductive barriers arise is an essential step to infer mechanisms biogeographic differentiation. In populations a specialized alpine species, we explore role geography climate in divergence genetic, morphological acoustic characters, analyse functional consequences on mate choice. TAXON: Chorthippus cazurroi (Orthoptera: Caelifera, Acrididae, Gomphocerinae). LOCATION: The entire distribution species (23 from six massifs Cantabrian Mountains, NW Spain). METHODS: First, analysed extent spatial covariation among climatic niche, genetic (mtDNA), (song structure) (body size) traits. Then, phenotypic by means crossing experiment different elevations. This served test for differences sexual selection body size‐divergent relationship between male traits, female preference reproduction. RESULTS: Genetic, morphologic increased with geographic distance. Female morphology was also affected variation, while one tightly covaried song Females more closely approached males investing time activities, but weakly responded rest features variation. They distanced themselves slightly populations, although this behaviour did not lead clear parameters. MAIN CONCLUSIONS: process colonization mountain has led significant changes C. cazurroi. Phenotypic does constitute strong intrinsic barrier reproduction largely unpaired preference, overall suggesting that minor actor differentiation as compared, instance, drift. exclude traits associated individual condition are under and, therefore, do vary so extensively. study dismisses idea specialists narrow distributions lack variability, highlights importance synthesizing experimental approaches obtain stronger deeper inferences about dynamics biological