Abstract
Chromosomal rearrangements are often the only apparent difference between closely related species, although it is not clear whether they are a cause or a by-product of speciation. We suggest that changes in the pattern of recombination may provide a link between chromosomal rearrangements and speciation. In models of speciation by sexual selection and by reinforcement, recombination is a major barrier to the formation of new species, primarily because it opposes the establishment of linkage disequilibrium. Here we show that in both the Felsenstein (1981) and Kirkpatrick (1982) models, a recombination suppressor is able to enhance the processes leading to speciation and increase its own frequency in the population.
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
References
Barton, N H, and Hewitt, G M. 1980. Hybrid zones and speciation. In: Atchley, W. R. & Woodruff, D. (eds) Evolution and Speciation: Essays in Honor of M J D White, pp. 109–145. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Barton, N H, and Rouhani, S. 1991. The probability of fixation of a new karyotype in a continuous population. Evolution, 45, 499–517.
Butlin, R K. 1987. Speciation by reinforcement. Trends Ecol Evol, 2, 8–13.
Charlesworth, B, and Charlesworth, D. 1973. Selection of new inversions in multilocus genetic systems. Genet Res, 21, 167–183.
Coyne, J A. 1992. Genetics and speciation. Nature, 355, 511–515.
Diehl, S R, and Bush, G L. 1989. The role of habitat preference in adaptation and speciation. In: Otte, D.&Endler, J. A. (eds) Speciation and its Consequences, pp. 345–365. Sinauer Associates, Sunderland.
Felsenstein, J. 1981. Skepticism towards Santa Rosalia, or why are there so few kinds of animals. Evolution, 35, 124–138.
Fraser, A, and Burnell, D. 1967. Simulation of genetic systems. XII. Models of inversion polymorphism. Genetics, 37, 267–282.
Gilburn, A S, Foster, S P, and Day, T H. 1992. Female mating preferences for large size in Coelopa frigida. Heredity, 69, 209–216.
Grula, J W, and Taylor, O R. 1980. The effects of X chromosome inheritance on mate selection behavior in the sulfur butterflies, Colias eurytheme and C. philodice. Evolution, 34, 688–695.
Hewitt, G M, and Barton, N H. 1980. The structure and maintenance of hybrid zones as exemplified by Podisma pedestris. In: Blackman, R. L., Hewitt, G. M.&Ashburner, M. (eds) Insect Cytogenetics, pp. 149–170. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford.
King, M. 1993. Species evolution: the role of chromosomal change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Kirkpatrick, M. 1982. Sexual selection and the evolution of female choice. Evolution, 36, 1–12.
Lande, R. 1979. Effective deme sizes during long-term evolution estimated from rates of chromosomal rearrangement. Evolution, 33, 234–251.
Lande, R. 1981. Models of speciation by selection on polygenic traits. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 78, 3721–3725.
Lewis, H. 1973. The origin of diploid neospecies in Clarkia. Am Nat, 107, 161–171.
Maynard Smith, J. 1991. Theories of sexual selection. Trends Ecol Evol, 6, 146–151.
O'Donald, P. 1962. The theory of sexual selection. Heredity, 17, 541–552.
Pomiankowski, A, Iwasa, Y, and Nee, S. 1991. The evolution of costly mate preferences. I. Fisher and biased mutation. Evolution, 45, 1422–1430.
Ritchie, M G. 1992. Setbacks in the search for mate-preference genes. Trends Ecol Evol, 7, 328–329.
Searle, J B. 1986. Factors responsible for karyotypic polymorphism in the common shrew Sorex araneus. Proc R Soc Lond B, 229, 277–298.
Seger, J. 1985. Unifying genetic models for the evolution of female choice. Evolution, 39, 1185–1193.
Sturtevant, A H, and Beadle, G W. 1939. An Introduction to Genetics. Saunders, Philadelphia.
West-Eberhard, M J. 1983. Sexual selection, social competition, and speciation. Q Rev Biol, 58, 155–183.
White, M J D. 1978. Modes of Speciation. W. H. Freeman, San Francisco.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Trickett, A., Butlin, R. Recombination suppressors and the evolution of new species. Heredity 73, 339–345 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1038/hdy.1994.180
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/hdy.1994.180
Keywords
This article is cited by
-
Patterns of genomic diversity and linkage disequilibrium across the disjunct range of the Australian forest tree Eucalyptus globulus
Tree Genetics & Genomes (2022)
-
Complexity of genetic mechanisms conferring nonuniformity of recombination in maize
Scientific Reports (2017)
-
Behavioural reproductive isolation and speciation in Drosophila
Journal of Biosciences (2012)
-
Effect of chromosome arrangements on mate recognition system leading to behavioral isolation in Drosophila ananassae
Genetica (2011)
-
Recombination-suppression: how many mechanisms for chromosomal speciation?
Genetica (2011)