Evolutionary consequences of diploid–polyploid hybrid zones in wild species

Hybrid zones between cytotypes with different ploidy levels are particularly interesting for studying the ecology and the evolution of reproductive interactions between closely related taxa. Diploid–polyploid hybrid zones differ fundamentally from those between diploids in that they reflect certain conditions that are characteristic of the early stage of polyploid establishment, and allow tests of hypotheses relating to the dynamics and evolution of polyploid complexes. Recent theoretical and empirical studies have provided important data on the evolution of isolating mechanisms in diploid–polyploid contact zones, but have also shown that introgression might counteract the evolution of isolating mechanisms.