Estimation of preferential pairing rates in second-generation autotetraploid Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas)

Although previously disregarded, polyploidy, and in particular autopolyploidy, is now believed to have played a prominent role in the evolution of plants and animals. We estimated the rate of preferential pairing in second-generation autotetraploid Pacific oysters front gametic frequencies. We found significant levels of preferential pairing in these recently generated autopolyploids suggesting that genetic variation in standing populations may play a role in meiotic mechanisms of polyploids derived front these populations.