title: Haldane's rule has multiple genetic causes.
abstract: Haldane's rule states that "When in the F1 offspring of two different animal races one sex is absent, rare, or sterile, that sex is the heterozygous [heterogametic or XY] sex". This rule represents one of the few patterns characterizing animal speciation. Traditional explanations of Haldane's rule claim that heterogametic hybrids are unfit because they lack an X chromosome that is 'compatible' with the autosomes of one species. Recent work shows that this explanation is incorrect for hybrid sterility: contrary to prediction, homogametic hybrids carrying both X chromosomes from the same species remain fertile. Until now, similar tests have not been performed for hybrid inviability. Here I show that homogametic hybrids who carry both X chromosomes from the same species are inviable. These results show tht the genetic causes of Haldane's rule differ for hybrid sterility versus inviability. Haldane's rule does not, therefore, have a single genetic basis.
authors.affiliation: Center for Population Biology, University of California, Davis 95616.
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Orr
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility; D006579:Heterozygote; D006801:Humans; D006824:Hybridization, Genetic; D008297:Male; D012730:Sex Chromosomes