The evolution of dominance reversal in pace-of-life genes

Variation in genes that affect life history traits should be purged by selection.

Yet, genetic variation in such genes is substantial and understanding how this is maintained is a long-standing challenge.

One potentially very general possibility is that selection in different contexts is antagonistic, resulting in a tug-of-war between alleles in particular sites that promotes the maintenance of variation. However, for this to result in lasting balancing selection requires dominance reversal.

This occurs when an allele is dominant in a selective context in which it is favored by selection and recessive in contexts in which it is disfavored.

Unfortunately, we know very little indeed about the context-specific dominance of conditionally beneficial alleles due to persistent empirical challenges. This project will overcome these challenges and thus help fill this important knowledge-gap.

I will use a combination of experimental evolution, pedigree breeding designs and state-of-the-art molecular genetic methods in two insect model systems to directly test for sex-specific dominance reversal in pace-of-life genes.

The project will (i) provide novel and detailed insights into the molecular genetics of integrative life history traits and will, most importantly, (ii) provide direct tests of dominance reversal which will (iii) allow a novel assessment of the potential for balancing selection to maintain genetic variation in life history traits.