Prezygotic isolation, mating preferences, and the evolution of chromosomal inversions

Chromosomal inversions are frequently implicated in isolating species. Models have shown how inversions can evolve in the context of postmating isolation. Inversions are also frequently associated with mating preferences, a topic that has not been studied theoretically. Here, we show how inversions can spread by capturing a mating preference locus and one or more loci involved with epistatic incompatibilities. Inversions can be established under broad conditions ranging from near panmixis to nearly complete speciation. These results provide a hypothesis to explain the growing number of examples of inversions associated with premating isolating mechanisms.