The nerodevelopmental genes alan shepard and Neuroglian are spatially structured in an admixed population and contribute to female mate preference

Abstract

AbstractMate choice is a key trait that determines fitness for most sexually reproducing organisms, with females often being the choosy sex. Female preference often results in strong selection on male traits that can drive rapid divergence of traits and preferences between lineages, leading to reproductive isolation. Regardless of this fundamental property of female mate choice, very few loci have been identified that contribute to mate choice and reproductive isolation. We used a combination of population genetics, quantitative complementation tests, and behavioral assays to identify alan shepard and Neuroglian as loci contributing to female mate choice and behavioral isolation between populations of Drosophila melanogaster. Our study is the first to identify the loci that contribute to female mate preference in this historically important system, and is one of the first examples of loci that directly contribute to an active barrier to reproduction. The identification of loci that are primarily known for their roles in neurodevelopment provides intriguing questions of how female mate preference evolves in populations via changes in sensory system and higher learning brain centers.