Hi there could you please help me answer these three questio

Hi there- could you please help me answer these three questions? Thank you! (I have attached the article below for reference)

1. What do you think the new contributions of this article are, compared with ideas that were already known about white-crowned sparrows or supergenes? What do you think the main point of the article is?

2. Do you think the source of the popular article might relate to the quality of the summary? Explain.

3. Briefly summarize, in your own words, the findings of the Tuttle et al. article.

Report Current Biology Divergence and Functional Degradation of a Sex Chromosome-like Supergene Graphical Abstract Authors Elaina M. Tuttle, Alan O. Bergland, Two sparrow morphs are determined by a supergene Alternative alleles are maintained by disassortative mating Marisa L. Korody, ...,Wesley C. Warren, White Rusty A. Gonser, Christopher N. Balakrishnan Two supergene alleles have an ancient origin 2 2m and may have come together via hybridization Correspondence Tan elaina.tuttle@indstate.edu 2 2 In Brief Supergenes are linked clusters of genes that contribute to adaptive variation. The origin and fate of polymorphic super genes within species are not well understood. To advance the understanding of supergenes, Tuttle et al. Due to a lack of recombination on ch examine the origin, evolutionary history, that version of the chromosome is degrading and possible fate of a fitness-related supergene in the white-throated sparrow. Highlights A balanced supergene determines disassortative mating between bird morphs One supergene allele appears to be degrading similar to neo- YW chromosomes Alternate alleles are ancient and likely became polymorphic via hybridization Tuttle et al., 2016, Current Biology 26, 1-7 Cell ress February 8, 2016 2016 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2015.11.069

Solution

1. The concept of supergenes which are a group of tightly linked genes in facilitating adaptation in suites of traits that determine fitness is already known. The missing links about these supergenes are how these alternate supergenes alleles arise in the population, how they become differentiated and what is their is ultimate fate within species. The authors in this paper address this issue using an evolutionary-based approach of supergenes in the white-throated sparrows.

2. The completely agree with the source of the popular article linked with the summary of this paper. The authors address a major issue lacking in the field of supergenes using both evolutionary and genetically. This gives a huge credit to the summary of this work.

3. As supergenes are known to be involved in the adaptation that determines fitness, the authors in the paper show evidence for the supergene which determines disassortative mating between bird morphs. In doing so, they investigated the evolutionary history of a supergene in white-throated sparrows which determines pigmentation and some components of social behaviour. The results show that one of the alleles may be degrading similar to sex chromosomes in these birds.