The Genetic Architecture of Variation in the Sexually Selected Sword Ornament and Its Evolution in Hybrid Populations.

ABSTRACT: Biologists since Darwin have been fascinated by the evolution of sexually selected ornaments, particularly those that reduce viability. Uncovering the genetic architecture of these traits is key to understanding how they evolve and are maintained. Here, we investigate the genetic architecture and evolutionary loss of a sexually selected ornament, the "sword" fin extension that characterizes many species of swordtail fish (Xiphophorus). Using sworded and swordless sister species of Xiphophorus, we generated a mapping population and show that the sword ornament is polygenic-with ancestry across the genome explaining substantial variation in the trait. After accounting for the impacts of genome-wide ancestry, we identify one major-effect quantitative trait locus (QTL) that explains ~5% of the

SUBMITTER: Powell DL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8051071 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature