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Quantifying Cytoskeleton Dynamics Using Differential Dynamic Microscopy

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Comparisons between Q(ST) and F(ST) --how wrong have we been?

Pim Edelaar¹, Pablo Burraco, Ivan Gomez-Mestre

¹Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC). Avda. Américo Vespucio s/n, Sevilla E-41092, Spain. edelaar@ebd.csic.es

Molecular Ecology

|November 9, 2011

Summary

Quantitative genetic divergence (Q(ST)) comparisons with neutral genetic divergence (F(ST)) are biased by marker mutation rates. This affects conclusions about selection on quantitative traits and requires new methods for accurate population divergence studies.

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A Quantitative Fitness Analysis Workflow

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Published on: August 13, 2012

Area of Science:

Evolutionary biology
Population genetics
Genomics

Background:

Quantitative genetic divergence (Q(ST)) and neutral genetic divergence (F(ST)) are standard metrics for detecting selection on quantitative traits.
Previous studies often compare Q(ST) and F(ST) to infer evolutionary processes.
High mutation rates in neutral markers can bias F(ST) estimates, complicating Q(ST)-F(ST) comparisons.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the impact of neutral marker mutation rates on Q(ST)-F(ST) comparisons.
To identify biases in previous studies of selection on quantitative traits.
To propose alternative methods for accurately assessing population divergence.

Main Methods:

Review of empirical studies comparing Q(ST) and F(ST).
Analysis of the relationship between marker heterozygosity and the Q(ST)-F(ST) difference.
Evaluation of alternative neutral divergence indices (G'st, D, Phi(ST)) and marker types (SNPs, microsatellites).

Main Results:

A positive correlation was found between marker heterozygosity and the Q(ST)-F(ST) difference, indicating upward bias in F(ST).
Marker mutation rate, not gene flow, was identified as the primary cause of this bias.
Commonly used neutral markers like microsatellites are problematic for Q(ST)-F(ST) comparisons due to high mutation rates.

Conclusions:

Published Q(ST)-F(ST) comparisons are likely biased, casting doubt on widespread divergent selection on quantitative traits.
Comparing Q(ST) with indices like G'st and Jost's D is not theoretically sound.
Accurate comparisons require neutral markers with mutation rates similar to quantitative trait loci (e.g., SNPs) or using Phi(ST) with appropriate genetic distances.