Large effect loci have a prominent role in Darwins finch evolution Institutional Repository Document uri icon

abstract

  • AbstractA fundamental goal in evolutionary biology is to understand the genetic architecture of adaptive traits and its evolutionary relevance. Using whole-genome data of 3,958 Darwins finches on the Galpagos Island of Daphne Major we identify six loci of large effect that explain 46% of the variation in beak size ofGeospiza fortis, a key ecological trait. Allele frequency changes across 30 years at these loci affected beak morphology in two ways. An abrupt change in beak size occurred inGeospiza fortisas a result of natural selection associated with a drought, and a more gradual change occurred inG. scandensas a result of introgressive hybridization. This study demonstrates how large effect loci are a major contributor to the genetic architecture of rapid diversification during adaptive radiations.One Sentence SummaryAllele frequency change at six loci of large effect causes evolutionary change in key ecological traits.

altmetric score

  • 5.5

author list (cited authors)

  • Enbody, E. D., Sendell-Price, A. T., Sprehn, C. G., Rubin, C., Visscher, P. M., Grant, B. R., Grant, P. R., & Andersson, L.

citation count

  • 3

complete list of authors

  • Enbody, Erik D||Sendell-Price, Ashley T||Sprehn, C Grace||Rubin, Carl-Johan||Visscher, Peter M||Grant, B Rosemary||Grant, Peter R||Andersson, Leif

Book Title

  • bioRxiv

publication date

  • October 2022