The types of mutations affecting adaptation in the wild are only beginning to be understood. In particular, whether structural changes shape adaptation by suppressing recombination or by creating new mutations is unresolved. Here, we show that multiple linked but recombining loci underlie cryptic color morphs of Timema chumash stick insects. In a related species, these loci are found in a region of suppressed recombination, forming a supergene. However, in seven species of Timema, we found that a megabase-size “supermutation” has deleted color loci in green morphs. Moreover, we found that balancing selection likely contributes more to maintaining this mutation than does introgression. Our results show how suppressed recombination and large-scale mutation can help to package gene complexes into discrete units of diversity such as morphs, ecotypes, or species.

影响野生适应性的突变类型才刚刚开始被理解。特别是，结构改变是通过抑制重组还是通过产生新的突变来形成适应性，这一点尚未得到解决。在这里，我们显示了多个链接但重组的基因座是Timema chumash竹节虫的隐秘颜色形态。在相关物种中，这些基因座位于重组受抑制的区域，形成超基因。但是，在七个时马中，我们发现一个兆碱基大小的“超突变”已删除了绿色变体中的颜色位点。此外，我们发现平衡选择可能比基因渗入更有助于维持这种突变。我们的结果表明，抑制重组和大规模突变如何帮助将基因复合物包装成离散的多样性单位，例如形态，生态型或物种。