Dr. Amir YASSIN Reciprocal Sexual Mimicry Evolution and the Maintenance of Intra-Sexual Diversity
EEB Seminar Series
12h30
Le séminaire du Dr. Amir YASSIN (Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris) aura lieu dans la salle de Conférence, IBENS 46 rue d’Ulm 75005 Paris
In sexual organisms, males and females share most of their genomes but often respond to distinct selective pressures. This can lead to a phenomenon known as intra-locus sexual conflict (IASC), in which a genetic allele advantageous in one sex is deleterious in the opposite sex. IASC can be resolved by restricting the expression of alleles to the sex for which they are advantageous. However, the consequences of unresolved IASC are still unclear. Here, I will demonstrate a fascinating case in a Drosophila species where unresolved IASC has led to a reciprocal sexual mimicry syndrome. In this species, each sex is polymorphic for different traits and the selectively advantageous morph mimics the phenotype of the opposite sex. Most intriguingly, this complex syndrome is controlled by a short element regulating distinct genes. By combining fine genetic dissections, behavioral assays, and evolutionary analyses, I aim to elucidate the origin and evolution of reciprocal sexual mimicry in experimental and natural Drosophila populations. Because most genes in sexually reproducing organisms are not restricted to one sex, unresolved IASC may be more widespread than currently appreciated, and it is likely a major source of the evolution and maintenance of diversity within and between the sexes.