Meiotic Drive as an Evolutionary Force

Abstract

Instances are known both from studies of natural populations and laboratory experiments in which heterozygotes produce two kinds of gametes, not with the customary equality, but with unequal frequencies. Such meiotic behavior will profoundly affect gene frequencies in populations, and is referred to as meiotic drive. Some of the consequences of meiotic drive on the genetic structure of natural populations, including those of man, and its evolutionary implications are considered.