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Tracing the origin and evolution of supergene mimicry in butterflies

Author

Listed:
  • Wei Zhang

    (University of Chicago)

  • Erica Westerman

    (University of Chicago
    University of Arkansas)

  • Eyal Nitzany

    (University of Chicago)

  • Stephanie Palmer

    (University of Chicago)

  • Marcus R. Kronforst

    (University of Chicago)

Abstract

Supergene mimicry is a striking phenomenon but we know little about the evolution of this trait in any species. Here, by studying genomes of butterflies from a recent radiation in which supergene mimicry has been isolated to the gene doublesex, we show that sexually dimorphic mimicry and female-limited polymorphism are evolutionarily related as a result of ancient balancing selection combined with independent origins of similar morphs in different lineages and secondary loss of polymorphism in other lineages. Evolutionary loss of polymorphism appears to have resulted from an interaction between natural selection and genetic drift. Furthermore, molecular evolution of the supergene is dominated not by adaptive protein evolution or balancing selection, but by extensive hitchhiking of linked variants on the mimetic dsx haplotype that occurred at the origin of mimicry. Our results suggest that chance events have played important and possibly opposing roles throughout the history of this classic example of adaptation.

Suggested Citation

  • Wei Zhang & Erica Westerman & Eyal Nitzany & Stephanie Palmer & Marcus R. Kronforst, 2017. "Tracing the origin and evolution of supergene mimicry in butterflies," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 1-11, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:8:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-017-01370-1
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01370-1
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    Cited by:

    1. Kerdoncuff, Elise & Lambert, Amaury & Achaz, Guillaume, 2020. "Testing for population decline using maximal linkage disequilibrium blocks," Theoretical Population Biology, Elsevier, vol. 134(C), pages 171-181.
    2. Guangping Huang & Lingyun Song & Xin Du & Xin Huang & Fuwen Wei, 2023. "Evolutionary genomics of camouflage innovation in the orchid mantis," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-13, December.

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