Data from: Genetic architecture of survival and fitness-related traits in two populations of Atlantic salmon

The additive genetic effects of traits can be used to predict evolutionary trajectories, such as responses to selection. Non-additive genetic and maternal environmental effects can also change evolutionary trajectories and influence phenotypes, but these later effects have received less attention by researchers. We partitioned the phenotypic variance of survival and fitness-related traits into additive genetic, non- additive genetic, and maternal environmental effects using a full-factorial breeding design within two allopatric populations of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Maternal environmental effects were large at early life stages, but decreased during development, with non-additive genetic effects being most significant at later juvenile stages (alevin and fry). Non- additive genetic effects were also, on average, larger than additive genetic effects. The populations, generally, did not differ in the trait values or inferred genetic architecture of the traits. Any differences between the populations for trait values could be explained by maternal environmental effects. We discuss if the similarities in architectures of these populations is the result of natural selection across a common juvenile environment.

性状的加性遗传效应（additive genetic effects）可用于预测进化轨迹，例如选择响应。非加性遗传效应（non-additive genetic effects）与母体环境效应（maternal environmental effects）同样能够改变进化轨迹并影响表型，但此类效应尚未获得研究者的足够重视。本研究以两个地理隔离种群（allopatric populations）的大西洋鲑（*Salmo salar*）为研究对象，采用全因子繁殖设计（full-factorial breeding design），将存活性状与适合度相关性状（fitness-related traits）的表型方差（phenotypic variance）划分为加性遗传效应、非加性遗传效应以及母体环境效应三类。母体环境效应在生命早期阶段较为显著，但随发育进程逐渐减弱；而非加性遗传效应则在后期幼体阶段（稚鱼与仔鱼）最为显著。平均而言，非加性遗传效应的强度亦大于加性遗传效应。总体而言，这两个种群在性状表型值以及推断出的性状遗传架构上并无显著差异。种群间仅存的性状表型值差异，均可由母体环境效应予以解释。本研究还探讨了这些种群的遗传架构相似性，是否源于共通幼体环境下的自然选择作用。