Effects of Genetic Architecture on the Evolution of Assortative Mating Under Frequency-dependent Disruptive Selection

Rettelbach, A., Hermisson, J., Dieckmann, U. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7089-0393, & Kopp, M. (2011). Effects of Genetic Architecture on the Evolution of Assortative Mating Under Frequency-dependent Disruptive Selection. IIASA Interim Report. IIASA, Laxenburg, Austria: IR-11-019

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Abstract

We consider a model of sympatric speciation due to frequency-dependent competition, in which it was previously assumed that the evolving traits have a very simple genetic architecture. In the present study, we use numerical simulations to test the consequences of relaxing this assumption. First, previous models assumed that assortative mating evolves in infinitesimal steps. Here, we show that the range of parameters for which speciation is possible increases when mutational steps are large. Second, it was assumed that the trait under frequency-dependent selection is determined by a single locus with to alleles and additive effects. As a consequence, the resultant intermediate phenotype is always heterozygous and can never breed true. To relax this assumption, we now add a second locus influencing the trait. We find three new possible evolutionary outcomes: evolution of three reproductive isolated species, a monomorphic equilibrium with only the intermediate phenotype, and a randomly mating population with a steep unimodal distribution of phenotypes. Both extensions of the original model thus increase the likelihood of competitive speciation.

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