Available online: explore how sex-biased gene evolution sheds light on the early stages of sexual dimorphism in green seaweeds. In this research article, we use the isogamous Ulva to investigate how selective pressures shape the transition from isogamy to anisogamy.
We show that in this system, with minimal gamete dimorphism, sex-biased genes evolve faster than unbiased ones, driven by positive selection and relaxed purifying selection–especially in genes related to flagella function. These findings provide insight into the molecular mechanisms of sexual selection and the evolutionary forces driving gamete size differentiation.
Click for the full paper in BMC Ecology and Evolution: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-025-02382-y