THE EFFECTS OF HITCHHIKING ON A GENE FOR RECOMBINATION

Abstract

This paper proposes that alleles increasing recombination rates may be selected for as a result of the perturbing effects of the spread of selectively favored alleles on neighboring loci maintained polymorphic by selection. The recombination genes are favored since their presence increases the production of selectively advantageous types of gametes with which they tend to remain associated. Numerical examples are presented, and some consequences of this model discussed. One such consequence is the widespread existence of polymorphism for genes affecting recombination values.