Fitness variation due to sexual antagonism and linkage disequilibrium

Extensive fitness variation for sexually antagonistic characters has been detected in nature. However, current population genetic theory suggests that sexual antagonism is unlikely to play a major role in the maintenance of variation. We present a two-locus model of sexual antagonism that is capable of explaining greater fitness variance at equilibrium than previous single-locus models. The second genetic locus provides additional fitness variance in two complementary ways. First, linked loci can maintain gene variants that are lost in single-locus models of evolution, expanding the opportunity for polymorphism. Second, linkage disequilibrium results between any two sexually antagonistic genes, producing an excess of high- and low-fitness haplotypes. Our results uncover a unique contribution of conflicting selection pressures to the maintenance of variation, which simpler models that neglect genetic architecture overlook.