Reproductive Barriers as a Byproduct of Gene Network Evolution
bioRxiv, (2020)DOI: 10.1101/2020.06.12.147322
Abstract
Speciation in the absence of divergent selection remains a topic of active debate in evolutionary biology. Existing empirical and theoretical studies have linked the process of speciation to complex genetic interactions. Gene Regulatory Networks (GRNs) capture the inter-dependencies of gene expression and encode information for individual development on a molecular level, which form a feedback loop to learn both patterns and effects of hybrid incompatibilities. Here, we develop a pathway framework considers GRNs as a functional representation of coding sequences. We then simulated the dynamics of GRNs through a simple model integrating natural selection, genetic drift and sexual reproduction and uncovered reproductive barriers among allopatric population subjected to identical selection pressure. A minimal mechanism of how reproductive isolation emerged was identified by numerical counter-factual analyses. We discuss how many features of our results are able to account for observed empirical patterns, which are currently in opposition to classical models of speciation. This study adds support for the central role of gene networks in speciation and their potential to shed light on as yet largely unexplained patterns in evolution.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.