Abstract
Uncovering whether convergent adaptations share a genetic basis is consequential for understanding the evolution of phenotypic diversity. This information can help us understand the extent to which shared ancestry or independent evolution shape adaptive phenotypes. In this study, we first ask whether the same genes underlie polymorphic mimicry in Papilio swallowtail butterflies. By comparing signatures of genetic variation between polymorphic and monomorphic species, we then investigate how ancestral variation, hybridization, and independent evolution contributed to wing pattern diversity in this group. We report that a single gene, doublesex (dsx), controls mimicry across multiple taxa, but with species-specific patterns of genetic differentiation and linkage disequilibrium. In contrast to widespread examples of phenotypic evolution driven by introgression, our analyses reveal distinct mimicry alleles. We conclude that mimicry evolution in this group was likely facilitated by ancestral polymorphism resulting from early co-option of dsx as a mimicry locus, and that evolutionary turnover of dsx alleles may underlie the wing pattern diversity of extant polymorphic and monomorphic lineages.
Highlights
Uncovering whether convergent adaptations share a genetic basis is consequential for understanding the evolution of phenotypic diversity
We first identified the mimicry loci of P. rumanzovia, P. memnon, and P. aegeus using genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and principal component analyses (PCA) of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data
We find the same gene underlying polymorphic mimicry in multiple taxa, our analyses reveal speciesspecific patterns of genetic variation and linkage disequilibrium between dsx mimicry alleles
Summary
Uncovering whether convergent adaptations share a genetic basis is consequential for understanding the evolution of phenotypic diversity. By comparing signatures of genetic variation between polymorphic and monomorphic species, we investigate how ancestral variation, hybridization, and independent evolution contributed to wing pattern diversity in this group. By leveraging natural experiments of convergent adaptation, we are able to assess the extent to which evolution proceeds with shared genetic architecture, genes, and/or mutations Comparing how these evolutionary changes unfold in the genome among multiple taxa can uncover how ancestral variation, hybridization, or independent evolutionary trajectories contribute to adaptive phenotypes[3]. Polymorphic mimicry is inferred to have evolved independently in several Papilio lineages[12,13], but questions remain about the potential roles of ancestral variation and contemporary allele sharing in shaping the extant diversity of Papilio wing pattern phenotypes. These findings imply a dynamic trajectory for mimicry evolution, potentially involving many gains and losses of mimicry alleles
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