Data from: Genetics and evidence for balancing selection of a sex-linked colour polymorphism in a songbird

Colour polymorphisms play a key role in sexual selection and speciation, yet the mechanisms that generate and maintain them are not fully understood. Here, we use genomic and transcriptomic tools to identify the precise genetic architecture and evolutionary history of a sex-linked colour polymorphism in the Gouldian finch Erythrura gouldiae that is also accompanied by remarkable differences in behaviour and physiology. We find that differences in colour are associated with an ~72-kbp region of the Z chromosome in a putative regulatory region for follistatin, an antagonist of the TGF-β superfamily genes. The region is highly differentiated between morphs, unlike the rest of the genome, yet we find no evidence that an inversion is involved in maintaining the distinct haplotypes. Coalescent simulations confirm that there is elevated nucleotide diversity and an excess of intermediate frequency alleles at this locus. We conclude that this pleiotropic colour polymorphism is most probably maintained by balancing selection.

Usage Notes
Kim et al 2019Source data files used to produce Figures in Kim et al. 2019

颜色多态性在性选择和物种形成中发挥关键作用，然而其产生与维持的机制尚未完全阐明。本研究利用基因组学和转录组学工具，解析了Gouldian雀（Erythrura gouldiae）中性连锁颜色多态性的精确遗传结构及进化史——该多态性还伴随显著的行为与生理差异。研究发现，颜色差异与Z染色体上一段约72 kbp的区域相关，该区域位于卵泡抑素（follistatin）的推定调控区内，而卵泡抑素是TGF-β超家族基因的拮抗剂。与基因组其余部分不同，该区域在不同形态型间高度分化，但未发现倒位参与维持独特单倍型的证据。溯祖模拟证实，该基因座存在升高的核苷酸多样性及中等频率等位基因的过剩。综上，我们认为这种多效性颜色多态性极可能由平衡选择维持。

使用说明：Kim等人2019年的来源数据文件，用于生成Kim等人2019年论文中的图表。