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The Ancestral Modulation Hypothesis: Predicting Mechanistic Control of Sexually Heteromorphic Traits Using

Andrew P Anderson, Suzy C P Renn

The American Naturalist

|August 22, 2023

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

The ancestral modulation hypothesis explains how sex traits evolve. It proposes that evolutionary history and sex-biased signals, like gonadal steroids, shape trait development and sexual dimorphism.

Keywords:

cis-regulatory elements evolution hormones sexual dimorphism trait regulation transcription

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Area of Science:

Evolutionary biology
Developmental biology
Endocrinology

Background:

Sex traits exhibit significant variation within and across species, challenging universal definitions.
Gonadal steroid hormones are key regulators of sex trait development in vertebrates.
Existing pathways can be co-opted for new trait regulation, leading to complex evolutionary patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

To propose the ancestral modulation hypothesis (AMH) as a framework for understanding the evolution of sexual heteromorphism.
To link the evolutionary history of a trait to its regulatory mechanisms.
To provide a testable hypothesis for investigating proximate and ultimate causes of sex trait diversity.

Main Methods:

The study proposes a verbal hypothesis based on evolutionary principles.
It integrates concepts of sexual conflict, genomic architecture, and hormonal signaling.
The hypothesis predicts regulatory pathway evolution based on ancestral trait values and sex-specific pressures.

Main Results:

The AMH posits that genomic architecture evolves to resolve sexual conflict in monomorphic traits.
This architecture leverages existing sex-biased gonadal steroid pathways to create heteromorphism.
Evolutionary pressure in the other sex leads to co-option of the existing architecture via signal alteration.

Conclusions:

The AMH offers a predictive framework for the evolution of sexual dimorphism.
It highlights the interplay between evolutionary history, sexual conflict, and hormonal regulation.
The hypothesis encourages integrated research into the ultimate and proximate mechanisms of sex trait evolution.