Reproductive isolation and the maintenance of species boundaries 1 in two serpentine endemic Jewelflowers

Speciation occurs when reproductive barriers substantially reduce gene flow between lineages. Understanding how specific barriers contribute to reproductive isolation offers insight into the initial forces driving divergence, and the evolutionary and ecological processes responsible for maintaining diversity. Here we quantified multiple pre- and post-pollination isolating barriers in a pair of closely related California Jewelflowers (Streptanthus, Brassicaceae) living in an area of sympatry. S. breweri and S. hesperidis are restricted to similar serpentine habitats, however populations are spatially isolated at fine-scales and rarely co-occur in intermixed stands. Several intrinsic postzygotic barriers were among the strongest we quantified, however postzygotic barriers currently contribute little to overall reproductive isolation due to the cumulative strength of earlier-acting extrinsic barriers, including spatial isolation, and flowering time and pollinator differences. Data fro...