Genetic architecture of repeated phenotypic divergence in Littorina saxatilis ecotype evolution

10Citations
Citations of this article
31Readers
Mendeley users who have this article in their library.

This article is free to access.

Abstract

Chromosomal inversions have been shown to play a major role in a local adaptation by suppressing recombination between alternative arrangements and maintaining beneficial allele combinations. However, so far, their importance relative to the remaining genome remains largely unknown. Understanding the genetic architecture of adaptation requires better estimates of how loci of different effect sizes contribute to phenotypic variation. Here, we used three Swedish islands where the marine snail Littorina saxatilis has repeatedly evolved into two distinct ecotypes along a habitat transition. We estimated the contribution of inversion polymorphisms to phenotypic divergence while controlling for polygenic effects in the remaining genome using a quantitative genetics framework. We confirmed the importance of inversions but showed that contributions of loci outside inversions are of similar magnitude, with variable proportions dependent on the trait and the population. Some inversions showed consistent effects across all sites, whereas others exhibited site-specific effects, indicating that the genomic basis for replicated phenotypic divergence is only partly shared. The contributions of sexual dimorphism as well as environmental factors to phenotypic variation were significant but minor compared to inversions and polygenic background. Overall, this integrated approach provides insight into the multiple mechanisms contributing to parallel phenotypic divergence.

Cite

CITATION STYLE

APA

Koch, E. L., Ravinet, M., Westram, A. M., Johannesson, K., & Butlin, R. K. (2022). Genetic architecture of repeated phenotypic divergence in Littorina saxatilis ecotype evolution. Evolution, 76(10), 2332–2346. https://doi.org/10.1111/evo.14602

Register to see more suggestions

Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.

Already have an account?

Save time finding and organizing research with Mendeley

Sign up for free