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The genetics of speciation: Insights from Fisher's geometric model.

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

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Authors

Fraïsse, Christelle 
Gunnarsson, P Alexander 
Roze, Denis 
Bierne, Nicolas 
Welch, John J 

Abstract

Research in speciation genetics has uncovered many robust patterns in intrinsic reproductive isolation, and fitness landscape models have been useful in interpreting these patterns. Here, we examine fitness landscapes based on Fisher's geometric model. Such landscapes are analogous to models of optimizing selection acting on quantitative traits, and have been widely used to study adaptation and the distribution of mutational effects. We show that, with a few modifications, Fisher's model can generate all of the major findings of introgression studies (including "speciation genes" with strong deleterious effects, complex epistasis and asymmetry), and the major patterns in overall hybrid fitnesses (including Haldane's Rule, the speciation clock, heterosis, hybrid breakdown, and male-female asymmetry in the F1). We compare our approach to alternative modeling frameworks that assign fitnesses to genotypes by identifying combinations of incompatible alleles. In some cases, the predictions are importantly different. For example, Fisher's model can explain conflicting empirical results about the rate at which incompatibilities accumulate with genetic divergence. In other cases, the predictions are identical. For example, the quality of reproductive isolation is little affected by the manner in which populations diverge.

Description

Keywords

Dobzhansky-Muller incompatibilities, hybridization, reproductive isolation, snowball effect, Genetic Speciation, Models, Genetic, Reproductive Isolation

Journal Title

Evolution

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0014-3820
1558-5646

Volume Title

Publisher

Wiley
Sponsorship
Agence Nationale de la Recherche (HYSEA project, ANR-12-BSV7- 0011)
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