Selection for complex traits leaves little or no classic signatures of selection

Abstract

Background: Selection signatures aim to identify genomic regions underlying recent adaptations in populations. However, the effects of selection in the genome are difficult to distinguish from random processes, such as genetic drift. Often associations between selection signatures and selected variants for complex traits is assumed even though this is rarely (if ever) tested. In this paper, we use 8 breeds of domestic cattle under strong artificial selection to investigate if selection signatures are co-located in genomic regions which are likely to be under selection. Results: Our approaches to identify selection signatures (haplotype heterozygosity, integrated haplotype score and FST) iden..