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DEVELOPMENT, FUNCTION, AND THE QUANTITATIVE GENETICS OF WING MELANIN PATTERN IN PIERIS BUTTERFLIES
Joel G Kingsolver1, Diane C Wiernasz1
1Department of Zoology, NJ-I5, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
Summary
Genetic correlations in butterfly wing patterns are shaped by both developmental links and functional needs. This influences how wing patterns evolve, especially under changing environmental conditions.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Biology
- Genetics
- Animal Behavior
Background:
- Genetic correlations between traits can arise from developmental constraints or functional coadaptation.
- Understanding these origins is crucial for predicting evolutionary trajectories.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether genetic correlations in the wing melanin pattern of Pieris occidentalis butterflies are driven by developmental organization or functional coadaptation.
- To compare observed genetic correlations with predictions from developmental and thermoregulatory hypotheses.
Main Methods:
- Estimating broad-sense heritabilities and genetic correlations for wing melanin characters.
- Utilizing matrix correlation tests to compare observed genetic correlations with a priori developmental and functional predictions.
Main Results:
- Most melanin characters exhibited significant heritabilities and genetic correlations.
- Significant agreement was found between observed genetic correlations and both developmental and functional predictions, even when overlap was removed.
- Results indicate that both developmental and functional factors shape the genetic correlation structure of melanin patterns.
Conclusions:
- Both developmental organization and functional coadaptation influence the genetic correlation structure of melanin patterns in Pieris occidentalis.
- Phenotypic variation in wing patterns may stem from variation within developmentally homologous character sets.
- Genetic correlations can impede disruptive selection on functionally linked traits, impacting evolutionary responses.
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