Summary
Gynodioecious populations contain male-sterile and hermaphrodite individuals, and gynodioecy has been interpreted as an outbreeding system.
Male-steriles require a mechanism for their maintenance in gynodioecious populations.
A theoretical study showed that for given values of heterozygote advantage, equilibrium proportions of male-steriles depended upon genetic control of the male sterility. These proportions were greatest where control was digenic with complementary gene action; lower where control was through a monogenic recessive; lower still where control was digenic with recessive suppressor gene action; and least when control was through duplicate genes.
With digenic inheritance, linkage between the sex-control genes was generally associated with reduced proportions of male-steriles.
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Ho, TY., Ross, M. Maintenance of male sterility in plant populations II. heterotic models. Heredity 31, 282–286 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1038/hdy.1973.85
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/hdy.1973.85
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