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Genetic dissection of assortative mating behavior.

Richard M Merrill1,2,3, Pasi Rastas2, Simon H Martin2

  • 1Division of Evolutionary Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, München, Germany.

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|February 8, 2019
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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Ecological traits that influence mate choice, like warning patterns in Heliconius butterflies, can drive speciation. A simple genetic basis for these preferences facilitates the evolution of new species by linking mating behavior and ecological selection.

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Genetics
  • Ecology

Background:

  • Ecological mating cues can facilitate speciation by linking traits under divergent selection with mate recognition.
  • The genetic underpinnings of assortative mating behaviors and ecological cue evolution are not well understood.
  • Heliconius melpomene and H. cydno butterflies exhibit warning patterns under disruptive selection and use them for mate recognition.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the genetic basis of divergent male preference between Heliconius melpomene and H. cydno.
  • To identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) influencing preference behavior and their association with ecological traits.

Main Methods:

  • Genome-wide quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis of preference behaviors between H. melpomene and H. cydno.
  • Assessing the genetic architecture of assortative mating and its linkage to ecological traits.

Main Results:

  • Divergent male preference between the species has a simple genetic basis, explained by three major QTLs accounting for ~60% of the behavioral difference.
  • One QTL is located very close (1.2 cM) to the major color pattern gene optix.
  • Genomic divergence is high but heterogeneous, with reduced admixture near the preference-optix locus.

Conclusions:

  • A simple genetic architecture for preference behavior can facilitate the evolution and maintenance of new species.
  • Coupling behavioral and ecological aspects of reproductive isolation promotes speciation despite gene flow.