Hybrid breakdown in male reproduction between recently diverged Drosophila melanogaster populations has a complex and variable genetic architecture.

ABSTRACT: Secondary contact between formerly isolated populations may result in hybrid breakdown, in which untested allelic combinations in hybrids are maladaptive and limit genetic exchange. Studying early-stage reproductive isolation may yield key insights into the genetic architectures and evolutionary forces underlying the first steps toward speciation. Here, we leverage the recent worldwide expansion of Drosophila melanogaster to test for hybrid breakdown between populations that diverged within the last 13,000 years. We found clear evidence for hybrid breakdown in male reproduction, but not female reproduction or viability, supporting the prediction that hybrid breakdown affects the heterogametic sex first. The frequency of non-reproducing F2 males varied among different crosses involving the

SUBMITTER: Lollar MJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10309968 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature