The mice on the remote Gough Island evolved the largest body size among wild house mice from around the world. Through comparisons with a smaller-bodied wild-derived strain from the same subspecies (WSB/EiJ), we demonstrated that Gough Island mice achieve their exceptional body weight primarily by growing faster during the 6 weeks after birth. We used genetic mapping in large F2 intercrosses between Gough Island mice and WSB/EiJ to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) responsible for the evolution of 16-week weight trajectories.
Note on studied population: Gough Island mice x WSB intercross.
Procedures conducted:
• study archive | |
Body weight of Gough Island mice. |