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Abstract: Numerous studies have observed regions of elevated genetic differentiation (islands) when comparing the genomes of incipient species. The mechanisms that lead to the formation of these islands nor their basic characteristics (length, frequency, distribution) are well understood. One hypothesis is that islands of elevated genetic differentiation form around loci that encode reproductive ... read moreisolating barriers, but there is currently little empirical evidence to support this thinking. In this thesis, I test this idea using an emerging model of speciation, the pheromone strains of Ostrinia nubilalis. I quantify the size of the island that forms around pgFAR, the gene responsible for differential pheromone production in the two strains. I observed the island surrounding pgFAR to be several hundred kilobases long, several orders of magnitude smaller than some of the islands observed in previous work. This discrepancy in island sizes suggests that there may be multiple different mechanisms responsible for island creation.
Thesis (M.S.)--Tufts University, 2015.
Submitted to the Dept. of Biology.
Advisor: Erik Dopman.
Committee: Mitch McVey, and Philip Starks.
Keyword: Biology.read less
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