Population genetic recursions to model-biased X chromosome inactivation

In eutherians, one of the X chromosomes in each cell of the early female embryo is rendered transcriptionally silent through X chromosome inactivation. The choice of which X chromosome to inactivate takes place independently in each cell and is stably inherited through development, leading to a roughly 50:50 ratio of cells in the adult body expressing one or the other X chromosome. However, X chromosome inactivation can be skewed, with certain X chromosomes showing a heritable tendency to avoid inactivation. Using population genetic models, we test whether genetic variation for this trait can be maintained by linked sexually antagonistic selection. In favor of this hypothesis, we find that a neutral modifier that affects the chances of its chromosome’s inactivation—e.g., a variant of the X controlling element (Xce)—can spread when linked to a sexually antagonistic gene. We explore the logic of this modifier’s spread, which we find to be similar in many respects to that of a modifier of ..., , , # Population genetic recursions to model-biased X chromosome inactivation

Dataset DOI: [10.5061/dryad.6m905qg92](10.5061/dryad.6m905qg92)

**Manuscript information**

Naomi L Greenberg, Manus M Patten, Skewed X chromosome inactivation as a response to sexually antagonistic selection, *Journal of Evolutionary Biology*, Volume 38, Issue 7, July 2025, Pages 1023–1030, [https://doi.org/10.1093/jeb/voae157](https://doi.org/10.1093/jeb/voae157)

## Description of the data and file structure

This data archive is structured in a way that it is clear how the various files are used to generate specific elements from the manuscript. The data and analysis scripts are labeled according to the figure from the main text or supplementary material to which they correspond.

### Files and variables

#### File: Figure_1_Graphs_.R

#### File: Figure_1_Invasion_Function.R

#### File: Figure_1_LinkageFunction.R

**Description:** Contains the code “Figure 1 Invasion Function.R” and “Figure 1 LinkageFunction...,