Enhanced heterozygosity from male meiotic chromosome chains is superseded by hybrid female asexuality in termites.

ABSTRACT: Although males are a ubiquitous feature of animals, they have been lost repeatedly in diverse lineages. The tendency for obligate asexuality to evolve is thought to be reduced in animals whose males play a critical role beyond the contribution of gametes, for example, via care of offspring or provision of nuptial gifts. To our knowledge, the evolution of obligate asexuality in such species is unknown. In some species that undergo frequent inbreeding, males are hypothesized to play a key role in maintaining genetic heterozygosity through the possession of neo-sex chromosomes, although empirical evidence for this is lacking. Because inbreeding is a key feature of the life cycle of termites, we investigated the potential role of males in promoting heterozygosity within populations through kar

SUBMITTER: Yashiro T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8713478 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature