Publication details

Transgressive segregation in a behavioural trait? Explorative strategies in two house mouse subspecies and their hybrids

Authors

HIADLOVSKÁ Zuzana BIMOVA Barbora Voslajerova MIKULA Ondrej PIALEK Jaroslav MACHOLAN Milos

Year of publication 2013
Type Article in Periodical
Magazine / Source Biological Journal of the Linnean Society
MU Faculty or unit

Faculty of Science

Citation
Web Full Text
Doi http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8312.2012.01997.x
Keywords dispersion; exploration; hybridization; Mus musculus domesticus; Mus musculus musculus; open field test
Description Hybrid zones between genetically diverged populations are widespread among animals and plants. Their dynamics usually depend on selection against admixture and dispersal of parental forms in the zone. Although indirect estimates of selection have been the target of many studies, dispersal has been neglected. In this study we carried out open field experiments to test whether males of two house mouse subspecies, Mus musculus musculus and Mus musculus domesticus, differ in their propensity to disperse and in their character of exploration. We tested wild-caught males and males of two wild-derived inbred strains. In addition, we examined reciprocal F1 crosses to test the prediction that these hybrids display intermediate behaviours. We revealed that M.?m.?musculus males were less hesitant to enter the experimental arena than were M.?m.?domesticus males, but once inside the arena their movements were more timid. F1 males differed from both parental strains, with longer latencies to enter the arena, but explored the arena in a similar fashion as the M.?m.?domesticus males, thus displaying transgressive behavioural phenotypes. These results contribute to our knowledge of behavioural divergence between the mouse subspecies, and add a new facet to the study of speciation.

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