Microbial Diversity and Immunogenetics of Whiptail Lizards (Aspidoscelis)

Abstract

Whiptail lizards of the genus Aspidoscelis are a complex of both sexual and asexual species with distributions in the United States, Mexico, and Central America. The parthenogenetic lineages arose through hybridization events between divergent sexual species; further backcrossing of the diploid parthenogens to the parentals is possible, and even hybridization with a third species produce triploid lineages. Here, we leverage the unique biology of whiptail lizards to evaluate and compare gut microbial communities between reproductive modes, investigate whether host genetic variation correlates with microbial diversity, and characterize MHC class II beta genes.