Data from: Discriminating selection on lateral plate phenotype and its underlying gene, Ectodysplasin, in threespine stickleback

When a signature of natural selection is discovered on a gene that is
pleiotropic or in tight linkage with other genes, it is challenging to
determine which of the affected phenotypes is under selection. One way to
make progress is to employ methods for analyzing natural selection on
correlated traits, including both genotype and phenotype. We used this
approach in threespine stickleback to estimate selection on a rapidly
evolving trait, lateral armor plates, while controlling for variation at
its major underlying gene, Ectodysplasin (Eda), and vice versa. This
allowed for independent estimates of selection on lateral plates and on
Eda via other traits. Previously, we demonstrated allele frequency changes
at Eda in a pond experiment. Here we show that this resulted from
selection on both plates and on Eda, implying additional selection on
other phenotypic traits affected by the same gene. This represents the
first evidence for direct selection on lateral plates independent of
selection on the Eda locus and highlights the value of measuring selection
on both phenotypes and genotypes in studies of adaptation.