The common guppy, Poecilia reticulata, can adapt rapidly to different ecological environments, and shows stunning diversity in color, life history, and physiology. In this issue, the guppy shows remarkable variation in de novo mutation rate. (Cover illustration by Jacelyn Shu, jacelyndesigns@gmail.com, https://www.jacelyndesigns.com/
Abstract
The rate of germline mutation is fundamental to evolutionary processes, as it generates the variation upon which selection acts. The guppy, Poecilia reticulata, is a model of rapid adaptation, however the relative contribution of standing genetic variation versus de novo mutation (DNM) to evolution in this species remains unclear. Here, we use pedigree-based approaches to quantify and characterize germline DNMs in three large guppy families. Our results suggest germline mutation rate in the guppy varies substantially across individuals and families. Most DNMs are shared across multiple siblings, suggesting they arose during early embryonic development. DNMs are randomly distributed throughout the genome, and male-biased mutation rate is low, as would be expected from the short guppy generation time. Overall, our study shows remarkable variation in germline mutation rate and provides insights into rapid evolution of guppies.