Interspecific mating in Drosophila sibling species Raw sequence reads. Drosophila sechellia

The goal of this work was to identify genome regions that influence assortative mating between Drosophila simulans and D. sechellia. The two species are a genetic model for interspecific hybridization, since they were recently found to be mixing in wild populations. By learning the genes and studying their qualities in a genetic model system, we hope to understand how they will determine whether these species blend together, become more separate through reinforcement, or persist as 'hybrid swarms'.