title: The genetic basis of behavioral isolation between Drosophila mauritiana and D. sechellia.
abstract: Understanding how species form is a fundamental question in evolutionary biology. Identifying the genetic bases of barriers that prevent gene flow between species provides insight into how speciation occurs. Here, I analyze a poorly understood reproductive isolating barrier, prezygotic reproductive isolation. I perform a genetic analysis of prezygotic isolation between two closely related species of Drosophila, D. mauritiana and D. sechellia. I first confirm the existence of strong behavioral isolation between D. mauritiana females and D. sechellia males. Next, I examine the genetic basis of behavioral isolation by (1) scanning an existing set of introgression lines for chromosomal regions that have a large effect on isolation; and (2) mapping quantitative trait loci (QTL) that underlie behavioral isolation via backcross analysis. In particular, I map QTL that determine whether a hybrid backcross female and a D. sechellia male will mate. I identify a single significant QTL, on the X chromosome, suggesting that few major-effect loci contribute to behavioral isolation between these species. In further work, I refine the map position of the QTL to a small region of the X chromosome.
authors: Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA. daniel.mcnabney@rochester.edu
authors: Daniel R
authors: DR
authors: McNabney
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D059006:Chromosomes, Insect / Q000235:genetics; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D051456:Gene Flow; D006824:Hybridization, Genetic; D008297:Male; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D040641:Quantitative Trait Loci; D012098:Reproduction; D060047:Reproductive Isolation; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal; D014960:X Chromosome / Q000235:genetics