Divergent selection and phenotypic plasticity during incipient speciation in Lake Victoria cichlid fish. 2009

I S Magalhaes, and S Mwaiko, and M V Schneider, and O Seehausen
Aquatic Ecology and Evolution, Institute of Ecology & Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland. isabel.magalhaes@eawag.ch

Divergent selection acting on several different traits that cause multidimensional shifts are supposed to promote speciation, but the outcome of this process is highly dependent on the balance between the strength of selection vs. gene flow. Here, we studied a pair of sister species of Lake Victoria cichlids at a location where they hybridize and tested the hypothesis that divergent selection acting on several traits can maintain phenotypic differentiation despite gene flow. To explore the possible role of selection we tested for correlations between phenotypes and environment and compared phenotypic divergence (P(ST)) with that based on neutral markers (F(ST)). We found indications for disruptive selection acting on male breeding colour and divergent selection acting on several morphological traits. By performing common garden experiments we also separated the environmental and heritable components of divergence and found evidence for phenotypic plasticity in some morphological traits contributing to species differences.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D010641 Phenotype The outward appearance of the individual. It is the product of interactions between genes, and between the GENOTYPE and the environment. Phenotypes
D010858 Pigmentation Coloration or discoloration of a part by a pigment. Pigmentations
D004777 Environment The external elements and conditions which surround, influence, and affect the life and development of an organism or population. Environmental Impact,Environmental Impacts,Impact, Environmental,Impacts, Environmental,Environments
D005260 Female Females
D005618 Fresh Water Water containing no significant amounts of salts, such as water from RIVERS and LAKES. Freshwater,Fresh Waters,Freshwaters,Water, Fresh,Waters, Fresh
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D012641 Selection, Genetic Differential and non-random reproduction of different genotypes, operating to alter the gene frequencies within a population. Natural Selection,Genetic Selection,Selection, Natural
D014644 Genetic Variation Genotypic differences observed among individuals in a population. Genetic Diversity,Variation, Genetic,Diversity, Genetic,Diversities, Genetic,Genetic Diversities,Genetic Variations,Variations, Genetic
D049810 Genetic Speciation The splitting of an ancestral species into daughter species that coexist in time (King, Dictionary of Genetics, 6th ed). Causal factors may include geographic isolation, HABITAT geometry, migration, REPRODUCTIVE ISOLATION, random GENETIC DRIFT and MUTATION. Speciation, Genetics,Cladogenesis,Cladogeneses,Speciation, Genetic

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