The impact of founder events on chromosomal variability in multiply mating species

TY - JOUR

T1 - The impact of founder events on chromosomal variability in multiply mating species

AU - Pool, John E

AU - Nielsen, Rasmus

N1 - Keywords: Animals; Chromosomes; Computer Simulation; Drosophila melanogaster; Female; Founder Effect; Genes, X-Linked; Genetic Variation; Genetics, Population; Models, Genetic; Sexual Behavior, Animal

PY - 2008

Y1 - 2008

N2 - In species with heterogametic males, the relative levels of X chromosome versus autosome diversity hold key information about the evolutionary forces at work in a population. It has been shown that population size changes alter the ratio of X linked to autosomal (X/A) variation, with population size reductions and recent bottlenecks leading to decreased X/A diversity ratios. Here we use theory and simulation to investigate a separate demographic effect-that of founder events involving multiply mated females-and find that it leads to much stronger reductions in X/A diversity ratios than are produced by simple population size changes. Investigating the potential of this process to account for sharply reduced X-linked diversity in European Drosophila melanogaster, we find that this model yields predictions that are compatible with the empirical data.

AB - In species with heterogametic males, the relative levels of X chromosome versus autosome diversity hold key information about the evolutionary forces at work in a population. It has been shown that population size changes alter the ratio of X linked to autosomal (X/A) variation, with population size reductions and recent bottlenecks leading to decreased X/A diversity ratios. Here we use theory and simulation to investigate a separate demographic effect-that of founder events involving multiply mated females-and find that it leads to much stronger reductions in X/A diversity ratios than are produced by simple population size changes. Investigating the potential of this process to account for sharply reduced X-linked diversity in European Drosophila melanogaster, we find that this model yields predictions that are compatible with the empirical data.

U2 - 10.1093/molbev/msn124

DO - 10.1093/molbev/msn124

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 18511425

SN - 0737-4038

VL - 25

SP - 1728

EP - 1736

JO - Molecular Biology and Evolution

JF - Molecular Biology and Evolution

IS - 8

ER -