Discrepancy in the degree of population differentiation between color-morph frequencies and neutral genetic loci in the damselfly Ischnura senegalensis in Okinawa Island, Japan

Genetica. 2015 Jun;143(3):271-7. doi: 10.1007/s10709-015-9821-x. Epub 2015 Jan 30.

Abstract

Evaluation of relative contribution of natural selection and stochastic processes to population differentiation has been of great interest in evolutionary biology. In a damselfly, Ischnura senegalensis, females show color dimorphism (gynochrome vs. androchrome), and color-morph frequencies are known to greatly vary among local populations within Okinawa Island, a small island of Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan. In this study, to examine the effects of natural selection and stochastic processes on the within-island variation in color-morph frequencies, we compared the degree of population differentiation at the color-morph locus with that at a mitochondrial DNA region and ten nuclear microsatellite loci. F ST values at the neutral loci were close to zero, indicating presence of sufficient gene flow (dispersal of adult individuals) between the local populations. In contrast, F ST values at the color-morph locus were significantly different from zero. These results suggest that variation in female color-morph frequencies observed among local populations in Okinawa Island has been caused by divergent selection acting on the phenotype and/or genes tightly linked with the color locus.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biological Evolution*
  • DNA, Mitochondrial / genetics
  • Female
  • Gene Flow
  • Genetic Loci
  • Genetics, Population
  • Genotype
  • Islands
  • Japan
  • Male
  • Microsatellite Repeats
  • Odonata / genetics*
  • Phenotype
  • Pigmentation / genetics*
  • Selection, Genetic*
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA

Substances

  • DNA, Mitochondrial