[Leps-l] Monarchs - subspecies, genetics and migration

[rcech at nyc.rr.com]

Heartily agree. But does it need to be distance separation? Imagine a
population of anteaters w/half-inch claws on average (but with randomly
variable claw length), that were used to surviving on grubs at ½” down in a
log. If another set of invasive grubs arrived that lived exclusively at ¾”
down, then anteaters with randomly long claws (>= ¾”) could get at those new
grubs and might diverge sympatrically, even while co-existing with other
anteaters who still could feed on their customary, shallower-living prey.
(This equilibrium might or might not be affected by the new feeding style,
depending mainly on whether the long-clawed version tore the crud out of the
grub logs to get at their new prey). Things like this are not unheard-of in
nature.

 

Just a thought

 

Good discussion,

Rick

 

From: Leps-l <leps-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu> On Behalf Of Walsh, Bruce -
(jbwalsh)
Sent: Sunday, May 29, 2022 3:17 AM
To: leps-l at mailman.yale.edu
Subject: [Leps-l] Monarchs - subspecies, genetics and migration

 

I've followed this thread for a little while and have avoided commenting on
it.  In large part, because it started when I was in Nairobi, and had low
band-width.  Now my travels have now taken me to Hobart, with its higher
bandwidth!  Alas, no collecting/watching in either location, work-related
(teaching and on an advisory committee).

 

>From a genetics standpoint, the issue can be clearly framed in terms of gene
exchange.  In a classic paper, Sewall Wright (one of the founders of
population genetics) noted that a single exchange of an individual between
populations per generation is about all that is needed to keep two neutral
subpopulations from diverging (more formally, 4Nm >> 1, where m is the
exchange rate and N the population size).  So the issue becomes: "is there
something about the migrationing  population that results in a drastic
reduction in gene exchange with the non-migration population".   Unless
there is differential mate choice when they come into contact (which they
will do each year), don't think the case can be made.

 

cheers

 

bruce

 

                
Bruce Walsh
Professor, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Professor, Public Health
Professor, BIO5 Institute
Professor, Plant Sciences
Adjunct Professor, Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences
Adjunct Professor, Molecular and Cellular Biology
Member, Graduate Committees on Applied Math, Insect Sciences, Genetics,
Statistics
University of Arizona

 

Evolution and Selection of Quantitative Traits (Oxford 2018)

https://global.oup.com/academic/product/evolution-and-selection-of-quantitat
ive-traits-9780198830870  

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0198830874

 

Genetics and Analysis of Quantitative Traits (Sinauer <Oxford>  1998)

https://global.oup.com/academic/product/genetics-and-analysis-of-quantitativ
e-traits-9780878934812

https://www.amazon.com/Genetics-Analysis-Quantitative-Traits-Michael/dp/0878
934812

 

Google Scholar

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=7iQEFwIAAAAJ
<https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=7iQEFwIAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao>
&hl=en&oi=ao

 

 

 

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