Parallel and nonparallel aspects of ecological, phenotypic, and genetic divergence across replicate population pairs of lake and stream stickleback.

ABSTRACT: Parallel (or convergent) evolution provides strong evidence for a deterministic role of natural selection: similar phenotypes evolve when independent populations colonize similar environments. In reality, however, independent populations in similar environments always show some differences: some nonparallel evolution is present. It is therefore important to explicitly quantify the parallel and nonparallel aspects of trait variation, and to investigate the ecological and genetic explanations for each. We performed such an analysis for threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) populations inhabiting lake and stream habitats in six independent watersheds. Morphological traits differed in the degree to which lake-stream divergence was parallel across watersheds. Some aspects of this vari

SUBMITTER: Kaeuffer R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4499166 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature