Inheritance of vertebral number in the three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus).
Intraspecific variation in the number of vertebrae is taxonomically widespread, and both genetic and environmental factors are known to contribute to this variation. However, the relative importance of genetic versus environmental influences on variation in vertebral number has seldom been investiga...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2011-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3095613?pdf=render |
| _version_ | 1818020935458881536 |
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| author | Jussi S Alho Tuomas Leinonen Juha Merilä |
| author_facet | Jussi S Alho Tuomas Leinonen Juha Merilä |
| author_sort | Jussi S Alho |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Intraspecific variation in the number of vertebrae is taxonomically widespread, and both genetic and environmental factors are known to contribute to this variation. However, the relative importance of genetic versus environmental influences on variation in vertebral number has seldom been investigated with study designs that minimize bias due to non-additive genetic and maternal influences. We used a paternal half-sib design and animal model analysis to estimate heritability and causal components of variance in vertebral number in three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus). We found that both the number of vertebrae (h(2) = 0.36) and body size (h(2) = 0.42) were moderately heritable, whereas the influence of maternal effects was estimated to be negligible. While the number of vertebrae had a positive effect on body size, no evidence for a genetic correlation between body size and vertebral number was detected. However, there was a significant positive environmental correlation between these two traits. Our results support the generalization--in accordance with results from a review of heritability estimates for vertebral number in fish, reptiles and mammals--that the number of vertebrae appears to be moderately to highly heritable in a wide array of species. In the case of the three-spined stickleback, independent evolution of body size and number of vertebrae should be possible given the low genetic correlation between the two traits. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-14T08:12:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c541c2091bb041ebb5b4545a31e9b139 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-14T08:12:10Z |
| publishDate | 2011-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-c541c2091bb041ebb5b4545a31e9b1392022-12-22T02:04:32ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032011-01-0165e1957910.1371/journal.pone.0019579Inheritance of vertebral number in the three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus).Jussi S AlhoTuomas LeinonenJuha MeriläIntraspecific variation in the number of vertebrae is taxonomically widespread, and both genetic and environmental factors are known to contribute to this variation. However, the relative importance of genetic versus environmental influences on variation in vertebral number has seldom been investigated with study designs that minimize bias due to non-additive genetic and maternal influences. We used a paternal half-sib design and animal model analysis to estimate heritability and causal components of variance in vertebral number in three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus). We found that both the number of vertebrae (h(2) = 0.36) and body size (h(2) = 0.42) were moderately heritable, whereas the influence of maternal effects was estimated to be negligible. While the number of vertebrae had a positive effect on body size, no evidence for a genetic correlation between body size and vertebral number was detected. However, there was a significant positive environmental correlation between these two traits. Our results support the generalization--in accordance with results from a review of heritability estimates for vertebral number in fish, reptiles and mammals--that the number of vertebrae appears to be moderately to highly heritable in a wide array of species. In the case of the three-spined stickleback, independent evolution of body size and number of vertebrae should be possible given the low genetic correlation between the two traits.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3095613?pdf=render |
| spellingShingle | Jussi S Alho Tuomas Leinonen Juha Merilä Inheritance of vertebral number in the three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus). PLoS ONE |
| title | Inheritance of vertebral number in the three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus). |
| title_full | Inheritance of vertebral number in the three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus). |
| title_fullStr | Inheritance of vertebral number in the three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus). |
| title_full_unstemmed | Inheritance of vertebral number in the three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus). |
| title_short | Inheritance of vertebral number in the three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus). |
| title_sort | inheritance of vertebral number in the three spined stickleback gasterosteus aculeatus |
| url | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3095613?pdf=render |
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