Skip to main content
Genetics logoLink to Genetics
. 1990 Mar;124(3):757–771. doi: 10.1093/genetics/124.3.757

Spatial Autocorrelation of Genotypes under Directional Selection

B K Epperson 1
PMCID: PMC1203966  PMID: 2311920

Abstract

The spatial distributions of genetic variation under selection-mutation equilibrium within populations that have limited dispersal are investigated. The results show that directional selection with moderate strength rapidly reduces the amount of genetic structure and spatial autocorrelations far below that predicted for selectively neutral loci. For the latter, homozygotes are spatially clustered into separate areas or patches, each consisting of several hundred homozygotes. When selection is added the patches of the deleterious homozygotes are much smaller, in the range of 25 to 50 individuals. Selection also reduces temporal correlations. Also investigated are the effects of random replacement processes, such as mutation, immigration, and long-distance migration, on spatial and temporal correlations. The detection of natural selection through spatial pattern analysis is discussed, and applied to data from populations of the morning glory, Ipomoea purpurea.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (3.3 MB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Barbujani G. Autocorrelation of gene frequencies under isolation by distance. Genetics. 1987 Dec;117(4):777–782. doi: 10.1093/genetics/117.4.777. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Epperson B. K., Allard R. W. Spatial autocorrelation analysis of the distribution of genotypes within populations of lodgepole pine. Genetics. 1989 Feb;121(2):369–377. doi: 10.1093/genetics/121.2.369. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Sokal R. R., Jacquez G. M., Wooten M. C. Spatial autocorrelation analysis of migration and selection. Genetics. 1989 Apr;121(4):845–855. doi: 10.1093/genetics/121.4.845. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Sokal R. R., Smouse P. E., Neel J. V. The genetic structure of a tribal population, the Yanomama Indians. XV. Patterns inferred by autocorrelation analysis. Genetics. 1986 Sep;114(1):259–287. doi: 10.1093/genetics/114.1.259. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Sokal R. R., Wartenberg D. E. A Test of Spatial Autocorrelation Analysis Using an Isolation-by-Distance Model. Genetics. 1983 Sep;105(1):219–237. doi: 10.1093/genetics/105.1.219. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Sokal R. R., Winkler E. M. Spatial variation among Kenyan tribes and subtribes. Hum Biol. 1987 Feb;59(1):147–164. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Turner M. E., Stephens J. C., Anderson W. W. Homozygosity and patch structure in plant populations as a result of nearest-neighbor pollination. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1982 Jan;79(1):203–207. doi: 10.1073/pnas.79.1.203. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Wright S. Isolation by Distance. Genetics. 1943 Mar;28(2):114–138. doi: 10.1093/genetics/28.2.114. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Genetics are provided here courtesy of Oxford University Press

RESOURCES