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UNDERSTANDING THE EVOLUTION AND STABILITY OF THE G-MATRIX

  1. Stevan J. Arnold1,2,
  2. Reinhard Bürger3,4,
  3. Paul A. Hohenlohe1,5,
  4. Beverley C. Ajie6,7,
  5. Adam G. Jones8,9

Article first published online: 1 OCT 2008

DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2008.00472.x

Issue

Evolution

Evolution

Volume 62, Issue 10, pages 2451–2461, October 2008

Additional Information

How to Cite

Arnold, S. J., Bürger, R., Hohenlohe, P. A., Ajie, B. C. and Jones, A. G. (2008), UNDERSTANDING THE EVOLUTION AND STABILITY OF THE G-MATRIX. Evolution, 62: 2451–2461. doi: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2008.00472.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Zoology, 3029 Cordley Hall, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331

  2. 2

    E-mail: arnolds@science.oregonstate.edu

  3. 3

    Institut für Mathematik, Universität Wien, Nordbergstrasse 15, 1090 Wien, Austria

  4. 4

    E-mail: reinhard.buerger@univie.ac.at

  5. 5

    E-mail: hohenlop@science.oregonstate.edu

  6. 6

    Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of California Davis, One Shields Ave., Storer Hall, Davis, California 95616

  7. 7

    E-mail: bcajie@ucdavis.edu

  8. 8

    Department of Biology 3258 TAMU, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 778430

  9. 9

    E-mail: agjones@neo.tamu.edu

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 1 OCT 2008
  2. Article first published online: 1 OCT 2008
  3. Received June 13, 2008Accepted June 16, 2008

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Keywords:

  • Adaptive landscape;
  • genetic variance–covariance matrix;
  • phenotypic evolution;
  • selection surface

The G-matrix summarizes the inheritance of multiple, phenotypic traits. The stability and evolution of this matrix are important issues because they affect our ability to predict how the phenotypic traits evolve by selection and drift. Despite the centrality of these issues, comparative, experimental, and analytical approaches to understanding the stability and evolution of the G-matrix have met with limited success. Nevertheless, empirical studies often find that certain structural features of the matrix are remarkably constant, suggesting that persistent selection regimes or other factors promote stability. On the theoretical side, no one has been able to derive equations that would relate stability of the G-matrix to selection regimes, population size, migration, or to the details of genetic architecture. Recent simulation studies of evolving G-matrices offer solutions to some of these problems, as well as a deeper, synthetic understanding of both the G-matrix and adaptive radiations.

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