Male-Driven Evolution in Closely Related Species of the Mouse Genus Mus

Abstract

Recently, other researchers have found that closely related primate species had a lower male-to-female mutation rate ratio (α) than distantly related species. To determine if this is a general phenomenon affecting other mammalian orders, eleven species or subspecies of the rodent genus Mus and two outgroup species were compared. Intron sequences from a gene in the nonrecombining region of the Y chromosome Jarid1d ( Smcy ) and its X chromosomal gametolog, Jarid1c ( Smcx ), were analyzed in a phylogenetic context. The male-to-female mutation rate ratio for all thirteen taxa is approximately 2.5, which is similar to previous estimates in more distantly related rodents. However, when branches with lengths of more than 2.5% were removed from the analysis, the male-to-female mutation rate ratio dropped to 0.9. Thus, in closely related rodents, as in closely related primates, the male-to-female mutation rate ratio is lower than expected.