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Faster-haplodiploid evolution under divergence-with-gene-flow: Simulations and empirical data from pine-feeding
Emily E Bendall1, Robin K Bagley1, Vitor C Sousa2
1Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
Molecular Ecology
|March 1, 2022
Summary
Haplodiploid reproduction, common in nature, accelerates genomic differentiation and speciation compared to diploid systems, especially under divergent selection and gene flow. This "faster-haplodiploid effect" is crucial for understanding evolutionary divergence.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Biology
- Population Genetics
- Speciation
Background:
- Haplodiploidy is a widespread reproductive system, yet its evolutionary consequences, particularly regarding genomic differentiation, remain incompletely understood.
- Genome-wide hemizygosity and reduced recombination in males are key features of haplodiploidy that may influence population divergence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how genome-wide hemizygosity and lack of recombination in haploid males affect genomic differentiation in populations undergoing divergence with gene flow.
- To compare the rate of divergence and speciation between haplodiploid and diploid systems under natural selection.
Main Methods:
- Simulated diploid and haplodiploid genomes under an isolation-with-migration model incorporating mutation, drift, selection, migration, and recombination.
- Analyzed genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data from sympatric pine sawfly species (Neodiprion lecontei and N. pinetum) to model divergence history.
- Used simulations based on estimated divergence history to compare differentiation patterns in haplodiploid versus diploid populations.
Main Results:
- Haplodiploid populations exhibited elevated genomic differentiation compared to diploid populations under divergent selection and gene flow, termed the 'faster-haplodiploid effect'.
- Empirical data from pine sawflies revealed heterogeneous genomic differentiation consistent with divergent selection on multiple unlinked loci and continuous gene exchange.
- Simulations confirmed that divergent selection leads to higher differentiation in haplodiploid systems, supporting the faster-haplodiploid effect.
Conclusions:
- Haplodiploidy facilitates faster divergence with gene flow and potentially enhances the likelihood of sympatric speciation compared to diploidy.
- The unique genetic architecture of haplodiploidy (hemizygosity, reduced recombination) plays a significant role in accelerating evolutionary processes.
- Findings provide a new framework for understanding the evolutionary dynamics of the numerous haplodiploid species in nature.
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