Cornell University
Library
Cornell UniversityLibrary

eCommons

Help
Log In(current)
  1. Home
  2. Cornell University Graduate School
  3. Cornell Theses and Dissertations
  4. Sexual isolation, species boundaries and the genetics of speciation phenotypes

Sexual isolation, species boundaries and the genetics of speciation phenotypes

Access Restricted

Access to this document is restricted. Some items have been embargoed at the request of the author, but will be made publicly available after the "No Access Until" date.

During the embargo period, you may request access to the item by clicking the link to the restricted file(s) and completing the request form. If we have contact information for a Cornell author, we will contact the author and request permission to provide access. If we do not have contact information for a Cornell author, or the author denies or does not respond to our inquiry, we will not be able to provide access. For more information, review our policies for restricted content.

File(s)
Sen_cornellgrad_0058F_15621.pdf (6.79 MB)
Supplementary_file_S1.pdf (300.72 KB)
Supplementary_file_S2.xlsx (138.12 KB)
No Access Until
2028-06-22
Permanent Link(s)
https://doi.org/10.7298/69j6-4a43
https://hdl.handle.net/1813/126623
Collections
Cornell Theses and Dissertations
Author
Sen, Raunak
Abstract

Understanding how reproductive isolation evolves and is maintained between species is central to speciation biology, yet the relative contributions of different isolating barriers and the genetic architecture of the traits that cause them remain understudied, especially for behavioral and polygenic traits. Here I address these questions using the Hawaiian swordtail crickets of the genus Laupala, a rapid radiation of 38 morphologically cryptic species that differ conspicuously in the pulse rate of the male mating song. Through no-choice mating trials, female phonotaxis assays, cuticular hydrocarbon profiling, and field surveys of microhabitat use in a naturally co-occurring Big Island species pair, I show that sexual isolation is nearly complete and sufficient to maintain species boundaries in sympatry despite weak habitat isolation. Using an F2 intercross mapping population, I identify two additive QTL underlying pulse rate divergence in a Maui species pair, both of which overlap with QTL previously mapped in independently evolving Big Island species pairs, providing evidence that genomic parallelism in song evolution is a genus-wide phenomenon. Gene Ontology enrichment analysis revealed an overrepresentation of neural signaling and rhythmic behavior genes within one QTL, with candidate genes like tipE, takeout, Ih, and Ace found in both QTL regions . Finally, I report the first case of natural hybridization in the Laupala radiation, confirming hybrid identity through population genomic analyses, demonstrating a strong correlation between genomic ancestry and pulse rate phenotype in nature, showing a heterogenous landscape of differentiation across the chromosomes and identifying some important candidate genes. Together, these results illuminate how sexual trait divergence drives and maintains reproductive isolation at multiple levels, from individual mating decisions to genetic architecture to genomic differentiation at a natural contact zone.

Description
159 pages
Supplemental file(s) description: Supplementary file S2 Chapter 3, Supplementary file S1 Chapter 3.
Date Issued
2026-05
Keywords
hybridization
•
population genomics
•
QTL mapping
•
sexual isolation
•
song variation
•
speciation
Committee Chair
Shaw, Kerry
Committee Member
Webster, Michael
Therkildsen, Nina
Sandkam, Benjamin
Degree Discipline
Neurobiology and Behavior
Degree Name
Ph. D., Neurobiology and Behavior
Degree Level
Doctor of Philosophy
Rights
Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International
Rights URI
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Type
dissertation or thesis

Site Statistics | Help

About eCommons | Policies | Terms of use | Contact Us

copyright © 2002-2026 Cornell University Library | Privacy | Web Accessibility Assistance