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Recombination is suppressed and variability reduced in a nascent Y chromosome
Author(s) -
BERSETBRÄNDLI L.,
JAQUIÉRY J.,
PERRIN N.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of evolutionary biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.289
H-Index - 128
eISSN - 1420-9101
pISSN - 1010-061X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2006.01278.x
Subject(s) - biology , heterogametic sex , recombination , selection (genetic algorithm) , chromosome , evolutionary biology , genetics , y chromosome , genetic drift , background selection , genetic variation , gene , artificial intelligence , computer science
Several hypotheses have been elaborated to account for the evolutionary decay commonly observed in full‐fledged Y chromosomes. Enhanced drift, background selection and selective sweeps, which are expected to result from reduced recombination, may all share responsibilities in the initial decay of proto‐Y chromosomes, but little empirical information has been gathered so far. Here we take advantage of three markers that amplify on both of the morphologically undifferentiated sex chromosomes of the European tree frog ( Hyla arborea ) to show that recombination is suppressed in males (the heterogametic sex) but not in females. Accordingly, genetic variability is reduced on the Y, but in a way that can be accounted for by merely the number of chromosome copies per breeding pair, without the need to invoke background selection or selective sweeps.