On 2015 Jan 20, Donald Forsdyke commented:

HYPOTHESES OF SPECIATION As hinted at by one of the reviewers, hypotheses on the initiation of speciation are broadly categorized as genic and chromosomal (Nevo, 2012). The possibility that their intriguing observations on putatively sterile hybrids between certain mouse subspecies might be explained in chromosomal (non-genic) terms is not considered by Turner and Harr. Yet, from studies of hybrids of the same subspecies, Bhattacharyya et al. (2013; 2014) infer that “meiotic asynapsis of heterospecific homologous chromosomes is the primary mechanistic basis of hybrid sterility.” This indicates a role for “a fast-evolving subset of the noncoding genomic sequence important for chromosome pairing and synapsis.” Thus, any observed genic differences would be secondary to this (Page and Orr-Weaver, 1997).

Furthermore, it is incorrectly implied by Turner and Harr that the work of Bateson (1909) supports the genic viewpoint to which the names of Dobzhansky and Muller are attached (“DM incompatibilities”). This is not a minor point, since Bateson consistently favored a non-genic viewpoint that is today best equated with the chromosomal hypothesis (Nei and Nozawa, 2011; Forsdyke, 2011).

Bhattacharyya T, Gregorova S, Mihola O, Anger M, Sebestova J, Denny P, Simecek P, Forejt J. 2013. Mechanistic basis of infertility of mouse intersubspecific hybrids. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, U S A 110: E468–477. doi:10.1073/pnas.1219126110.

Bhattacharyya T, Reifova R, Gregorova S, Simecek P, Gergelits V, Mistrik M, Martincova I, Pialek J, Forejt J. 2014. X chromosome control of meiotic chromosome synapsis in mouse inter-subspecific hybrids. PLoS Genetics 10: e1004088. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1004088

Forsdyke DR. 2011. The ‘B’ in BDM. William Bateson did not advocate a genic speciation theory. Heredity 106:202. doi:10.1038/hdy.2010.15.

Nei M, Nozawa M. 2011. Roles of mutation and selection in speciation: from Hugo de Vries to the modern genomic era. Genome Biology and Evolution 3,812–829. doi:10.1093/gbe/evr028.

Nevo E. 2012. Speciation: chromosomal mechanisms. In: eLS. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons. doi: 10.1002/9780470015902.a0001757.pub3.

Page AW, Orr-Weaver TL. 1997. Stopping and starting the meiotic cycle. Current Opinion in Genetics and Development 7:23–31. doi: 10.1016/S0959-437X(97)80105-0.

On 2015 Jan 20, Donald Forsdyke commented:

HYPOTHESES OF SPECIATION As hinted at by one of the reviewers, hypotheses on the initiation of speciation are broadly categorized as genic and chromosomal (Nevo, 2012). The possibility that their intriguing observations on putatively sterile hybrids between certain mouse subspecies might be explained in chromosomal (non-genic) terms is not considered by Turner and Harr. Yet, from studies of hybrids of the same subspecies, Bhattacharyya et al. (2013; 2014) infer that “meiotic asynapsis of heterospecific homologous chromosomes is the primary mechanistic basis of hybrid sterility.” This indicates a role for “a fast-evolving subset of the noncoding genomic sequence important for chromosome pairing and synapsis.” Thus, any observed genic differences would be secondary to this (Page and Orr-Weaver, 1997).

Furthermore, it is incorrectly implied by Turner and Harr that the work of Bateson (1909) supports the genic viewpoint to which the names of Dobzhansky and Muller are attached (“DM incompatibilities”). This is not a minor point, since Bateson consistently favored a non-genic viewpoint that is today best equated with the chromosomal hypothesis (Nei and Nozawa, 2011; Forsdyke, 2011).

Bhattacharyya T, Gregorova S, Mihola O, Anger M, Sebestova J, Denny P, Simecek P, Forejt J. 2013. Mechanistic basis of infertility of mouse intersubspecific hybrids. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, U S A 110: E468–477. doi:10.1073/pnas.1219126110.

Bhattacharyya T, Reifova R, Gregorova S, Simecek P, Gergelits V, Mistrik M, Martincova I, Pialek J, Forejt J. 2014. X chromosome control of meiotic chromosome synapsis in mouse inter-subspecific hybrids. PLoS Genetics 10: e1004088. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1004088

Forsdyke DR. 2011. The ‘B’ in BDM. William Bateson did not advocate a genic speciation theory. Heredity 106:202. doi:10.1038/hdy.2010.15.

Nei M, Nozawa M. 2011. Roles of mutation and selection in speciation: from Hugo de Vries to the modern genomic era. Genome Biology and Evolution 3,812–829. doi:10.1093/gbe/evr028.

Nevo E. 2012. Speciation: chromosomal mechanisms. In: eLS. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons. doi: 10.1002/9780470015902.a0001757.pub3.

Page AW, Orr-Weaver TL. 1997. Stopping and starting the meiotic cycle. Current Opinion in Genetics and Development 7:23–31. doi: 10.1016/S0959-437X(97)80105-0.