A 'supergene' underlies genetic differences sexual behaviour in male ruff
Thursday, November 19, 2015 - 05:07
in Biology & Nature
Independent male ruff at lek with colourful ruff and head tuft. The ruff is a Eurasian shorebird that has a spectacular lekking behaviour where highly ornamented males compete for females. Now two groups report that males with alternative reproductive strategies carry a chromosomal rearrangement that has been maintained as a balanced genetic polymorphism for about 4 million years.