Opinion: Why Sex-Based Genomic Differentiation Should Not Be Overlooked in Population Genetics

Abstract

Sex-specific genomic differentiation is a crucial yet frequently overlooked factor in population genetics. In this opinion piece, we leverage the substantial genomic resources available for the great tit (Parus major), including population-scale data sets from many European populations, to investigate genomic differentiation between males and females. Unlike in some other species, where high-quality genome assemblies exist but broad population sampling is lacking, the great tit offers a unique opportunity to study sex-based differentiation at both the genomic and population level. We identify significant differentiation at an autosomal locus on chromosome 5, which we hypothesise originates from sex-linked variation present on the sex chromosomes (Z and potentially W). By referencing genomic data from other songbirds with well-assembled sex chromosomes, we illustrate how autosomal loci may exhibit high sequence similarity to sex-linked regions. Our analyses demonstrate that uneven sex ratios in sampled populations can substantially bias differentiation metrics (e.g., F_ST), potentially resulting in false-positive interpretations of adaptive differentiation. To mitigate such issues, we stress the importance of sex-aware study designs, including balanced sex sampling and explicitly incorporating sex as a covariate. Furthermore, while optimal study designs would include high-quality reference genomes from both sexes, we recommend, as a pragmatic and cost-effective alternative for labs with limited resources, generating a reference genome from the heterogametic sex (females in birds) to ensure both sex chromosomes are represented in mapping and analysis. Finally, we emphasise the need for rigorous validation of candidate loci to ensure accurate and biologically meaningful outcomes in evolutionary genomic studies.