Stability of underdominant genetic polymorphisms in population networks

•The role of underdominance in population connectivity is discussed.•A simple model incorporating migration and underdominance in a meta-population with varying network topologies is presented.•Simulations of underdominance with migration suggest the network topology of a meta-population is important to long term genetic stability.

Heterozygote disadvantage is potentially a potent driver of population genetic divergence. Also referred to as underdominance, this phenomena describes a situation where a genetic heterozygote has a lower overall fitness than either homozygote. Attention so far has mostly been given to underdominance within a single population and the maintenance of genetic differences between two populations exchanging migrants. Here we explore the dynamics of an underdominant system in a network of multiple discrete, yet interconnected, populations. Stability of genetic differences in response to increases in migration in various topological networks is assessed. The network topology can have a dominant and occasionally non-intuitive influence on the genetic stability of the system.