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Cited by 181Evolution and Genetic DynamicsGenetic and phenotypic traits in livestockGenetic diversity and population structure

Clines in polygenic traits

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BARTON, N. H.·1999·Genetical Research
DOI 10.1017/s001667239900422x
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Abstract

This article outlines theoretical models of clines in additive polygenic traits, which are maintained by stabilizing selection towards a spatially varying optimum. Clines in the trait mean can be accurately predicted, given knowledge of the genetic variance. However, predicting the variance is difficult, because it depends on genetic details. Changes in genetic variance arise from changes in allele frequency, and in linkage disequilibria. Allele frequency changes dominate when selection is weak relative to recombination, and when there are a moderate number of loci. With a continuum of alleles, gene flow inflates the genetic variance in the same way as a source of mutations of small effect. The variance can be approximated by assuming a Gaussian distribution of allelic effects; with a sufficiently steep cline, this is accurate even when mutation and selection alone are better described by the 'House of Cards' approximation. With just two alleles at each locus, the phenotype changes in a similar way: the mean remains close to the optimum, while the variance changes more slowly, and over a wider region. However, there may be substantial cryptic divergence at the underlying loci. With strong selection and many loci, linkage disequilibria are the main cause of changes in genetic variance. Even for strong selection, the infinitesimal model can be closely approximated by assuming a Gaussian distribution of breeding values. Linkage disequilibria can generate a substantial increase in genetic variance, which is concentrated at sharp gradients in trait means.

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  • The most parsimonious explanation for the intermediate-latitude pattern is that stabilizing selection affects the light and dark tails of the pigmentation distribution.

    “The most parsimonious explanation for this pattern is that stabilizing selection affects the light and dark tails of the pigmentation distribution (Barton, 1999).”

    From An Unexpectedly Complex Architecture for Skin Pigmentation in Africans (2017) · cites this paper as Barton, 1999

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Research works printed but not linked: 8

  1. Baird, S. J. E. (1995). The mixing of genotypes in hybrid zones : a simulation study of multilocus clines. E olution 49, 1038-1045. https://doi.org/10.1017/S001667239900422X Published online by Cambridge University Press
  2. Barton, N. H. & Shpak, M. (1999). The effects of epistasis on the structure of hybrid zones. Genetical Research, in press.
  3. Bulmer, M. G. (1985). The Mathematical Theory of Quan- titati e Genetics. Oxford : Oxford University Press.
  4. Felsenstein, J. (1977). Multivariate normal genetic models with a finite number of loci. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Quantitati e Genetics (ed. E. Pollak, O. Kempthorne & T. B. Bailey), pp. 227-246.
  5. Kruuk, L. E. B., Baird, S. J. E., Gale, K. S. & Barton, N. H. (1999). The effect of endogenous and exogenous selection on multilocus clines. Genetics, in press.
  6. Nagylaki, T. (1986). Neutral models of geographic variation. In Stochastic Spatial Processes (ed. P. Tautu), pp. 216-237. Berlin : Springer Verlag.
  7. Slatkin, M. (1978). Spatial patterns in the distribution of polygenic characters. Journal of Theoretical Biology 70, 213-228.
  8. Wolfram, S. (1996). The Mathematics Book, 3rd edn. Cambridge : Wolfram Media\Cambridge University Press.

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Authors
BARTON, N. H.
Affiliations
University of Edinburgh (GB)
Corresponding author
BARTON, N. H.
ORCID
BARTON, N. H.
Venue
Genetical Research
Publisher
Hindawi Limited
Published
1999-12
Volume
74
Issue
3
Pages
223-236
ISSN
  • 0016-6723 (ISSN-L)
  • 1469-5073
DOI
10.1017/s001667239900422x
OpenAlex
W2155119277
Cited by
181
References
33
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 14 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 10 · 2013: 11 · 2012: 8
FWCI
0.37
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
www.cambridge.org/core/terms (unspecified)
Locations
  • Genetics Research (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • Darwin Trust of Edinburgh
  • Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
  • Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
  • Natural Environment Research Council
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Evolution and Genetic Dynamics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genetic and phenotypic traits in livestock
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genetic diversity and population structure
Keywords
polygenic traits, clinal variation, stabilizing selection, genetic variance, allele frequency change, linkage disequilibrium, gene flow, mutation-selection balance, infinitesimal model, recombination
MeSH terms
Alleles, Animals, Genes, Genetics, Population, Models, Genetic, Mutation, Selection, Genetic, Genetic Variation, Linkage Disequilibrium, Quantitative Trait, Heritable, Multifactorial Inheritance

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