Do chromosomal hybrids necessarily suffer from developmental instability?

• Published in: Biological journal of the Linnean Society Vol. 88; no. 1; pp. 33 - 43
• Main Authors: GAZAVE, ELODIE, CATALAN, JOSETTE, DA GRACA RAMALHINHO, MARIA, DA LUZ MATHIAS, MARIA, NUNES, ANA CLAUDIA, BRITTON-DAVIDIAN, JANICE, AUFFRAY, JEAN-CHRISTOPHE
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-05-2006; Blackwell; Linnean Society of London
• Subjects: Biodiversity and Ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Biological evolution; chromosomal differentiation; developmental stability; domain_sde.be.gp; Environmental Sciences; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genetics of eukaryotes. Biological and molecular evolution; house mouse; Robertsonian fusion; structural heterozygosity; chromosomal differentiation; Robertsonian fusion; Biological evolution; developmental stability; house mouse; Hybrid; Instability; structural heterozygosity
• ISSN: 0024-4066; 1095-8312
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2006.00600.x

The role of chromosomal rearrangements in disturbing reproduction in hybrids between karyotypically differentiated groups is fairly well documented. However, the effect of chromosomal changes at other phenotypic levels is rarely considered. In Tunisia, natural chromosomal hybrids of the house mouse exhibit developmental instability, suggesting that a high karyotypic heterozygosity might also affect developmental processes. If this is true, we predict that, in this species, developmental instability should arise in hybrids between any populations with a high chromosomal differentiation. To test this hypothesis, we compare the results obtained in Tunisian mice with those obtained in the present analysis on Madeiran mice. Both systems of races have similar levels of chromosomal differentiation (nine Robertsonian fusions). Unlike Tunisian mice, hybrids in Madeira display a similar level of developmental instability as parental groups. This indicates that structural heterozygosity per se does not necessarily impair developmental stability. It further suggests that chromosomal fusions are not all equivalent in their phenotypic effects, and that the identity of each fusion should be taken into account. © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2006, 88, 33–43.