PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Dirk Metzler
AU  - Ulrich Knief
AU  - Joshua V. Peñalba
AU  - Jochen B. W. Wolf
TI  - Frequency dependent sexual selection, mating trait architecture and preference function govern spatio-temporal hybrid zone dynamics
AID  - 10.1101/2020.03.10.985333
DP  - 2020 Jan 01
TA  - bioRxiv
PG  - 2020.03.10.985333
4099  - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2020/03/27/2020.03.10.985333.short
4100  - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2020/03/27/2020.03.10.985333.full
AB  - Hybrid zones provide a window into the evolutionary processes governing species divergence. While the role of postzygotic isolation has been extensively characterized in the context of hybrid zones, the contribution of prezygotic isolation is less well explored. In particular, the effect of mate choice mediated by preference learning such as self-recognition or imprinting remains largely elusive. Here, we present model-based simulations investigating the influence of the preference function, the genetic architecture of the mating trait and the role of sexual selection on spatio-temporal hybrid zone dynamics. The model is parameterized with empirical data from the hybrid zone between all-black carrion and grey-coated hooded crows allowing qualitative and quantitative inference in a natural setting. The best-fit model resulted in narrow clines for the mating trait loci coding for color polymorphism maintained by a moderate degree of assortative mating. Epistasis induced hybrid zone movement in favor of dark alleles followed by a shift in the opposite direction ∼1,200 generations after secondary contact. Unlinked neutral loci diffused near-unimpeded across the zone. This study demonstrates that assortative mating can explain steep transitions in mating trait loci without generalizing to genome-wide reproductive isolation. It further emphasizes the importance of mating trait architecture for spatio-temporal hybrid zone dynamics.