Balancing selection on a floral polymorphism.
The common morning glory, Ipomoea purpurea, exhibits a flower color polymorphism at the W locus throughout the southeastern North America. The W locus controls whether flowers will be darkly pigmented (WW), lightly pigmented (Ww), or white with pigmented rays (ww). In this report, we describe results of a perturbation, or convergence, experiment using five plots designed to determine whether balancing selection operates on the W locus. The pattern of gene frequency changes obtained are indicative of balancing selection operating at the W locus, providing direct evidence that both the alleles are actively maintained by selection.
Department of Zoology, Evolution, Ecology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708-0325, USA. banu@u.arizona.edu
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B
Subramaniam
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Rausher
D005787:Gene Frequency; D010858:Pigmentation / Q000235:genetics; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D019657:Solanaceae / Q000235:genetics*