Conclusions
Overall, our transcriptomic analysis of a hypermetamorphic and sexually
dimorphic sawfly demonstrates that patterns of gene-expression
decoupling can be surprisingly predictable. These findings shed light on
seemingly contradictory results reported in previous tests of the ADH
and set the stage for follow-up studies on the genetic basis of
stage-specific adaptation. However, rigorously testing the ADH and
better understanding its relation to sexual dimorphism will ultimately
require analyses of gene-expression decoupling in diverse taxa that vary
in metamorphic and sexually dimorphic phenotypes. To gain maximal
insight from decoupling analyses in other taxa, a prioripredictions derived from in-depth knowledge of organismal ecology are
essential. Although much work remains, these data are critical to
understanding why metamorphosis is one of the most successful
developmental strategies on the planet.