Large inversions in Lake Malawi cichlids are associated with habitat preference, lineage, and sex determination

• DOI: 10.7554/elife.104923.1
• Publication Date: 2025-01-31T16:25:11Z
• Authors: Nikesh M Kumar; Taylor L Cooper; Thomas D Kocher; J Todd Streelman; Patrick T McGrath
• Keywords: Adaptive Radiation; Lineage (genetic)

Chromosomal inversions are an important class of genetic variation that link multiple alleles together into a single inherited block can have effects on fitness. To study the role large in massive evolutionary radiation Lake Malawi cichlids, we used long-read technologies to identify four and two tandem span half each respective chromosome, which encompass over 10% genome. Each inversion is fixed one states within seven major ecogroups, suggesting they played separation lake lineages specific habitats. One exception benthic sub-radiation, where both inverted non-inverted continue segregate group. The histories three six suggest transferred from pelagic Diplotaxodon group ancestors at time sub-radiation was seeded. remaining found subset species living deep waters. We show some these as XY sex-determination systems but also likely limited total species. Our work suggests been under sexual natural selection cichlids will be understanding how this adaptive evolved.