Sex chromosomes and speciation in Drosophila

Two empirical rules suggest that sex chromosomes play a special role in speciation. The first is Haldane's rule – the preferential sterility and inviability of species hybrids of the heterogametic (XY) sex. The second is the disproportionately large effect of the X chromosome in genetic analyses of hybrid sterility. Whereas the causes of Haldane's rule are well established, the causes of the ‘large X-effect’ have remained controversial. New genetic analyses in Drosophila confirm that the X is a hotspot for hybrid male sterility factors, providing a proximate explanation for the large X-effect. Several other new findings – on faster X evolution, X chromosome meiotic drive and the regulation of the X chromosome in the male-germline – provide plausible evolutionary explanations for the large X-effect.