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Shifting Balancing Selection Underlies an Inversion Cline in Eurasian Blackcap.
Jun Ishigohoka1,2, Miriam Liedvogel1,3,4
1MPRG Behavioural Genomics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology Plön Germany.
Ecology and Evolution
|June 18, 2026
Summary
Shifting balancing selection, specifically negative frequency-dependent selection (NFDS), drives a unique inversion cline across the Eurasian blackcap range. This study reveals NFDS
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary genetics
- Population genomics
- Speciation research
Background:
- Chromosomal inversions can generate clines due to divergent selection.
- Balancing selection also maintains inversion polymorphisms, but its role in generating clines is less understood.
- The Eurasian blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) exhibits a unique inversion cline (inv_12_3) spanning its entire range.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the mechanism driving the inversion cline in Eurasian blackcaps.
- Determine if spatial heterogeneity in balancing selection can generate inversion clines.
- Identify the specific type of balancing selection acting on the inv_12_3 inversion.
Main Methods:
- Demography inference
- Population genomic simulation under blackcap demography
- Approximate Bayesian computation (ABC)
Main Results:
- The inv_12_3 cline is not explained by divergent selection.
- Negative frequency-dependent selection (NFDS) with spatially varying parameters underlies the cline.
- NFDS shows a lower optimal frequency on islands compared to the mainland.
Conclusions:
- This is the first study to suggest NFDS underlies an inversion cline.
- Shifting balancing selection plays a significant role in generating complex patterns of genetic variation.
- The findings highlight the importance of considering spatially varying selection in evolutionary processes.
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