TY - JOUR
T1 - Visual mate preference evolution during butterfly speciation is linked to neural processing genes
AU - Rossi, Matteo
AU - Hausmann, Alexander
AU - Thurman, Timothy
AU - Montgomery, Stephen H
AU - Papa, Riccardo
AU - Jiggins, Chris
AU - McMillan, Owen
AU - Merrill, Richard
PY - 2020/9/21
Y1 - 2020/9/21
N2 - Many animal species remain separate not because their individuals fail to produce viable hybrids but because they “choose” not to mate. However, we still know very little of the genetic mechanisms underlying changes in these mate preference behaviours. Heliconius butterflies display bright warning patterns, which they also use to recognize conspecifics. Here, we couple QTL for divergence in visual preference behaviours with population genomic and gene expression analyses of neural tissue (central brain, optic lobes and ommatidia) across development in two sympatric Heliconius species. Within a region containing 200 genes, we identify five genes that are strongly associated with divergent visual preferences. Three of these have previously been implicated in key components of neural signalling (specifically an ionotropic glutamate receptor and two regucalcins), and overall our candidates suggest shifts in behaviour involve changes in visual integration or processing. This would allow preference evolution without altering perception of the wider environment.
AB - Many animal species remain separate not because their individuals fail to produce viable hybrids but because they “choose” not to mate. However, we still know very little of the genetic mechanisms underlying changes in these mate preference behaviours. Heliconius butterflies display bright warning patterns, which they also use to recognize conspecifics. Here, we couple QTL for divergence in visual preference behaviours with population genomic and gene expression analyses of neural tissue (central brain, optic lobes and ommatidia) across development in two sympatric Heliconius species. Within a region containing 200 genes, we identify five genes that are strongly associated with divergent visual preferences. Three of these have previously been implicated in key components of neural signalling (specifically an ionotropic glutamate receptor and two regucalcins), and overall our candidates suggest shifts in behaviour involve changes in visual integration or processing. This would allow preference evolution without altering perception of the wider environment.
KW - behavioural ecology
KW - behavioural genetics
KW - evolutionary genetics
KW - speciation
U2 - 10.1038/s41467-020-18609-z
DO - 10.1038/s41467-020-18609-z
M3 - Article (Academic Journal)
C2 - 32958765
VL - 11
JO - Nature Communications
JF - Nature Communications
SN - 2041-1723
IS - 4763
M1 - 4763 (2020)
ER -
