Local coexistence of distinct, genetically determined color morphs can be unstable and transitional. Stable, long-term coexistence requires some form of balancing selection to protect morphs from getting lost by directional selection or genetic drift. However, not all phenotypic polymorphism need to have a genetic basis. We here report on the genetic basis of two color polymorphisms in the club-legged grasshopper Gomphocerus sibiricus: a green-brown polymorphism that is phylogenetically and geographically widespread among orthopteran insects and a pied-brown pattern polymorphism that is shared among many gomphocerine grasshoppers. We found a remarkably clear outcome of matings within and between morph that suggest not only that the green-brown polymorphism is heritable in this species, but that results can be most parsimoniously explained by a single autosomal locus with two alleles in which the green allele is dominant over the brown allele. A few individuals did not match this pattern and suggest the existence of genetic modifiers and/or developmental phenocopies. We also show that the pied-brown polymorphism is highly heritable, although the evidence for the involvement of one or more loci is less clear-cut. Overall, our data demonstrate that the two polymorphisms are heritable in the club-legged grasshopper and appear genetically simple, at least with respect to green morphs. The results are consistent with the idea that the synthesis or transport of a pigment involved in the production of green coloration (likely biliverdin) is lost by homozygosity for loss-of-function alleles in brown individuals. The apparently simple genetic architecture of the green-brown polymorphism offer potential for studying balancing selection in the field and for genetic mapping in this species.

中文翻译：

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棍腿蚱GoGomphocerus sibiricus的绿棕色多态性是可遗传的，并且在遗传上看似简单。

由遗传确定的独特颜色形态在局部共存可能是不稳定和过渡的。稳定的长期共存需要某种形式的平衡选择，以保护形态不因方向选择或遗传漂移而丢失。但是，并非所有的表型多态性都需要有遗传基础。我们在此报告棍状腿蚱Go Gomphocerus sibiricus中两种颜色多态性的遗传基础：一种在直翅目昆虫的系统发育和地理上广泛分布的绿棕色多态性，以及在许多Gomphocerine蚱shared中共有的斑褐色模式多态性。我们发现形态内和形态间交配的结果非常明显，这不仅表明该物种还可以遗传绿棕色多态性，但是这个结果可以用一个具有两个等位基因的常染色体基因座来最简单地解释，其中绿色等位基因比棕色等位基因占优势。一些人不符合这种模式，并暗示存在遗传修饰因子和/或发育表型。我们还显示了斑褐色的多态性是高度可遗传的，尽管涉及一个或多个基因座的证据较不明确。总体而言，我们的数据表明，这两种多态性在棍腿蚱grass中是可遗传的，并且在遗传上似乎简单，至少就绿色形态而言。结果与这样的想法是一致的：棕色个体中功能丧失等位基因的纯合性会丧失与绿色生成有关的色素（可能是胆绿素）的合成或运输。