title: Evolutionary branching of a magic trait.
abstract: We study the adaptive dynamics of a so-called magic trait, which is under natural selection and which also serves as a cue for assortative mating. We derive general results on the monomorphic evolutionary singularities. Next, we study the long-term evolution of single-locus genetic polymorphisms under various strengths of assortativity in a version of Levene's soft-selection model, where natural selection favours different values of a continuous trait within two habitats. If adaptive dynamics leads to a polymorphism with sufficiently different alleles, then the corresponding homozygotes cease to interbreed so that sympatric speciation occurs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 68, Gustaf Hallstromin katu 2b, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kisdi
authors.forename: Tadeas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Priklopil
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D017753:Ecosystem; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005260:Female; D049810:Genetic Speciation; D008297:Male; D008957:Models, Genetic; D010641:Phenotype; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D019655:Quantitative Trait, Heritable; D012641:Selection, Genetic