Selection for Adaptive Traits as a Factor of Recombination Evolution: Evidence from Natural and Experimental Populations (A Review)

Polymorphism Maintenance in Populations with Mixed Random Mating and Apomixis Subjected to Stabilizing and Cyclical Selection

“…Our computer simulations fully con"rmed this expectation for all ranges of ss and r. In a temporally varying environment, selection on quantitative traits may lead to an advantage for sexual recombination (Maynard Smith, 1980, 1988aKorol & Preygol, 1989;Bergman & Feldman, 1990;Charlesworth, 1993;Kondrashov & Yampolsky, 1996;Otto & Michalakis, 1998). There is evidence from arti"cial selection experiments that a response to the directional selection on a trait is frequently associated with a correlated increase in the recombination rate (Flexon & Rodell, 1982;Gorodetsky et al, 1990;Korol & Iliadi, 1994;Korol, 1999). In our model with the mixed breeding system, we found that in the cyclical varying environment, weak #uctuating selection did not make mixing advantageous (in terms of mean "tness).…”

Sexual and reproductive behaviour ofDrosophila melanogasterfrom a microclimatically interslope differentiated population of ‘Evolution Canyon’ (Mount Carmel, Israel)

“…In our previous studies we showed a strong di¡erent-iation of D. melanogaster subpopulations from the opposite slopes of`Evolution Canyon' for a complex of adaptive traits (Nevo et al 1998;Korol 1999). This di¡erentiation included various aspects of induced changes in viability and longevity caused by short-term and lifetime temperature treatments, di¡erent rates of mutation and recombination and habitat choice.…”

Ecological stress and sex evolution in soil microfungi

“…Lond. B (2003) theoretical analysis have shown that directional selection, in combination with nite population size and/or spatial heterogeneity, may promote a selective advantage of increased recombination under much less restrictive assumptions than usually thought (Flexon & Rodell 1982;Gorodetski et al 1990;Korol & Iliadi 1994;Otto & Barton 1997;Korol 1999;Lenormand & Otto 2000). Assuming that sex helps organisms to adapt to adverse conditions, one can further propose that in natural populations of fungi the abundance of sexual forms will be positively correlated with the severity of stress.…”