侧斑蜥蜴的遗传学、进化与维持：生物石头剪刀布游戏

Phenotypic differences within species allow adaption to novel environments and the formation of new species, so it is important to understand the factors that generate and maintain this variability (1–5). Species can exhibit distinct morphs that differ across multiple traits, such as coloration and behavior (2, 6–11). Understanding how morphs coexist within a population can reveal the selective forces that maintain variation within species (6, 12, 13). Balancing selection on morphs has been investigated for decades in a population of sideblotched lizards (Uta stansburiana) where three color morphs are observed, each associated with a distinct male mating strategy (Fig. 1A and fig. S1). The competitive dynamics among these morphs were the first known example of a biological rock-paper-scissors game (6). …