SC SI Epistasis

Tests whether self-incompatible plant species show greater epistatic contributions to trait divergence than self-compatible species. Uses LCA datasets from Wright Was Right meta-analysis (Blackmon et al. 2024 Evolution).

Status: active

Current hypothesis:

Self-incompatible (SI) plant species show greater epistatic contributions to quantitative trait divergence than self-compatible (SC) species, because obligate outcrossing in SI lineages preserves combinations of interacting alleles (V_I) that are exposed and purged under selfing. This predicts a positive correlation between outcrossing rate and V_I / V_A ratio across the 1,236 LCA trait datasets.

Next action:

Complete data collection and begin analysis