An Asymmetric Genetic Signal Associated with Mechanosensory Expansion in Cave-Adapted Fish.

ABSTRACT: A key challenge in contemporary biology is connecting genotypic variation to phenotypic diversity. Quantitative genetics provides a powerful technique for identifying regions of the genome that covary with phenotypic variation. Here, we present a quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis of a natural freshwater fish system, Astyanax mexicanus, that harbors two morphs corresponding to a cave and surface fish. Following their divergence ~500 Kya, cavefish have adapted to the extreme pressures of the subterranean biome. As a consequence, cavefish have lost numerous features, but evolved gains for a variety of constructive features including behavior. Prior work found that sensory tissues (neuromasts) present in the "eye orbit" region of the skull associate with sensitivity to vibrations i

SUBMITTER: Powers AK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7894647 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature