title: Evolutionary rates for multivariate traits: the role of selection and genetic variation.
abstract: A fundamental question in evolutionary biology is the relative importance of selection and genetic architecture in determining evolutionary rates. Adaptive evolution can be described by the multivariate breeders' equation (Δz(-)=Gβ), which predicts evolutionary change for a suite of phenotypic traits (Δz(-)) as a product of directional selection acting on them (β) and the genetic variance-covariance matrix for those traits (G ). Despite being empirically challenging to estimate, there are enough published estimates of G and β to allow for synthesis of general patterns across species. We use published estimates to test the hypotheses that there are systematic differences in the rate of evolution among trait types, and that these differences are, in part, due to genetic architecture. We find some evidence that sexually selected traits exhibit faster rates of evolution compared with life-history or morphological traits. This difference does not appear to be related to stronger selection on sexually selected traits. Using numerous proposed approaches to quantifying the shape, size and structure of G, we examine how these parameters relate to one another, and how they vary among taxonomic and trait groupings. Despite considerable variation, they do not explain the observed differences in evolutionary rates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, Program in Ecology Evolutionary Biology and Behavior, BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Tremough Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9EZ, UK.
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Pitchers
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, UK.
authors.forename: Jason B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.affiliation: College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Tremough Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9EZ, UK.
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tregenza
authors.affiliation: College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Tremough Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9EZ, UK j.hunt@exeter.ac.uk.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hunt
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, Program in Ecology Evolutionary Biology and Behavior, BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA idworkin@msu.edu.
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dworkin
mesh_terms: D005075:Biological Evolution; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005828:Genetics, Population / Q000379:methods*; D008954:Models, Biological; D010641:Phenotype; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D013045:Species Specificity
keywords: G matrix; constraint; evolutionary rates; evolvability; natural selection; quantitative genetics