Evolution, Inheritance, and Strata Formation of the W Chromosome in Duck (Anas platyrhynchos)

The nonrecombining female-limited W chromosome is predicted to experience unique evolutionary processes. Difficulties in assembling W chromosome sequences have hindered the identification of duck W-linked sequences and their evolutionary footprint. To address this, we conducted three initial contig-level genome assemblies and developed a rigorous pipeline by which to successfully expand the W-linked data set, including 11 known genes and 24 newly identified genes. Our results indicate that the W chromosome expression may not be subject to female-specific selection; a significant convergent pattern of upregulation associated with increased female-specific selection was not detected. The genetic stability of the W chromosome is also reflected in the strong evolutionary correlation between it and the mitochondria; the complete consistency of the cladogram topology constructed from their gene sequences proves the shared maternal coevolution. By detecting the evolutionary trajectories of W-linked sequences, we have found that recombination suppression started in four distinct strata, of which three were conserved across Neognathae. Taken together, our results have revealed a unique evolutionary pattern and an independent stratum evolutionary pattern for sex chromosomes.