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Natural selection influences the frequencies of particular alleles and phenotypes within populations in several different ways. Primarily, natural selection can be directional, stabilizing, or disruptive. Directional selection favors one extreme trait and shifts the population towards that phenotype while selecting against individuals displaying alternate traits. Stabilizing selection favors an intermediate trait with a narrow range of variation. Deviation from the optimal phenotype towards an...
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Balancing selection maintains cryptic colour morphs.

Maren Wellenreuther1

  • 1Seafood Research Unit, Plant and Food Research Limited, Nelson, New Zealand.

Molecular Ecology
|December 6, 2017
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Summary

Balancing selection maintains cryptic color polymorphism in Timema walking sticks by preserving nonrecombining genomic regions. This study reveals how genetic architecture enables the long-term persistence of adaptive variation.

Keywords:
colour polymorphismcrypsisheterosisinversions

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Genetics
  • Ecology

Background:

  • Animal coloration is diverse, driven by sexual selection and crypsis.
  • Maintaining genetic variation for color morphs is theoretically challenging due to selection and drift.
  • Cryptic color polymorphism in Timema cristinae walking sticks presents a model for studying variation maintenance.

Discussion:

  • Genome-wide data revealed that green and melanistic color morphs in Timema cristinae are linked to a specific genomic region with suppressed recombination, characteristic of an inversion polymorphism.
  • Evidence suggests long-term balancing selection maintains these chromosomal variants, indicated by widespread heterozygote excess and genomic signatures.
  • A third, younger chromosomal variant associated with green-striped morphs was identified in the same genomic region.

Key Insights:

  • The genetic architecture of cryptic color in Timema is shaped by nonrecombining genomic blocks.
  • Balancing selection plays a crucial role in maintaining adaptive genetic variation for color polymorphism over extended periods.
  • This study provides empirical evidence for balancing selection's role in preserving color diversity in natural populations.

Outlook:

  • Further research can explore the specific fitness advantages conferred by different color morphs under varying environmental conditions.
  • Investigating the evolutionary history and precise mechanisms of inversion formation and maintenance in Timema could yield deeper insights.
  • The findings contribute to understanding the broader evolutionary processes that generate and sustain biodiversity.