The position of the Triturus carnifex-T. dobrogicus newt hybrid zone in central Croatia compared to that of Bombina fire-bellied toads

Hybrid zones are research arenas where shared range boundaries allow testing the strength of reproductive isolation between related species. However, the ecological component in hybrid zone properties is frequently ignored. For lowland and upland species in the genera Triturus (large-bodied newts) and Bombina (fire-bellied toads) in central Croatia it is here shown that hybrid zones are displaced from the elevation gradient and instead align with lowland forest cover. Among species pairs, the resembling ecological profiles do not work out similarly, signifying a higher propensity for long distance and riverine dispersal in B. bombina than in T. dobrogicus. This line of research – one step up from the comparison of related species – constitutes a promising avenue towards the better understanding of pattern and process in the formation, development and maintenance of species hybrid zones and their ecological attributes.

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