Data from: Prominent intra-specific genetic divergence within Anopheles gambiae sibling species triggered by habitat discontinuities across a riverine landscape

Striking genetic differences, compatible with a strong reduction of gene-flow, were observed between An. gambiae populations west and east of an extensively rice-cultivated region exclusively occupied by An. coluzzii. Notably, this ‘intra-specific’ differentiation was higher than that observed between the two species and involved also the centromeric region of chromosome-X which has previously been considered a marker of speciation within this complex, suggesting that the two populations may be at an advanced stage of reproductive isolation triggered by human-made habitat fragmentation.

These results confirm ongoing ecological speciation within these most important Afro-tropical malaria vectors and raise new questions on the possible effect of this process in malaria transmission.