META-ANALYSES OF THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN MULTILOCUS HETEROZYGOSITY AND FITNESS

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Abstract
Meta-analyses of published correlation coefficients between multilocus heterozygosity (MLH) and two fitness surrogates, growth rate and fluctuating asymmetry, suggested that the strength of these correlations are generally weak. A variety of plants and animals was included in the meta-analyses. A statistically homogeneous group of MLH–growth rate correlation coefficients that included both plants and animals yielded a common correlation of rz = 0.133. A common correlation of rz = –0.170 was estimated for correlations between MLH and fluctuating asymmetry in three species of salmonid fishes. These results suggest that selection, including overdominance, has at most a weak effect at allozyme loci and cast some doubt on the widely held notion that heterozygosity and individual fitness are strongly correlated.
Funding Information
  • Nevada Biodiversity Initiative