Parental care shapes the evolution of molecular genetic variation.

ABSTRACT: Cooperative social behaviors, such as parental care, have long been hypothesized to relax selection leading to the accumulation of genetic variation in populations. Although the idea has been discussed for decades, there has been relatively little experimental work to investigate how social behavior contributes to genetic variation in populations. Here, we investigate how parental care can shape molecular genetic variation in the subsocial insect, Nicrophorus vespilloides. Using whole-genome sequencing of populations that had evolved in the presence or absence of parental care for 30 generations, we show that parental care maintains levels of standing genetic variation. In contrast, under a harsh environment without care, strong directional selection caused a reduction in genetic va

SUBMITTER: Mashoodh R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10693002 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature