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Climate-driven population divergence in sex-determining systems

journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-17, 03:24 authored by Pen, I, Uller, T, Feldmeyer, B, Harts, A, Geoffrey WhileGeoffrey While, Erik WapstraErik Wapstra
Sex determination is a fundamental biological process, yet its mechanisms are remarkably diverse. In vertebrates, sex can be determined by inherited genetic factors or by the temperature experienced during embryonic development. However, the evolutionary causes of this diversity remain unknown. Here we show that live-bearing lizards at different climatic extremes of the species� distribution differ in their sex-determining mechanisms, with temperature-dependent sex determination in lowlands and genotypic sex determination in highlands. A theoretical model parameterized with field data accurately predicts this divergence in sex-determining systems and the consequence thereof for variation in cohort sex ratios among years. Furthermore, we show that divergent natural selection on sex determination across altitudes is caused by climatic effects on lizard life history and variation in the magnitude of between-year temperature fluctuations. Our results establish an adaptive explanation for intra-specific divergence in sex-determining systems driven by phenotypic plasticity and ecological selection, thereby providing a unifying framework for integrating the developmental, ecological and evolutionary basis for variation in vertebrate sex determination.

History

Publication title

Nature

Volume

468

Issue

7322

Pagination

436-439

ISSN

0028-0836

Department/School

School of Natural Sciences

Publisher

Nature Publishing Group

Place of publication

Macmillan Building, 4 Crinan St, London, England,

Rights statement

Copyright 2010 Macmillan Publishers Limited

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Terrestrial biodiversity

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