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Using experimental evolution to investigate geographic range limits in monkeyflowers.

Amy L Angert1, H D Bradshaw, Douglas W Schemske

  • 1Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA. angert@mail.colostate.edu

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This summary is machine-generated.

Species range limits may be caused by adaptive trade-offs. Evolution at high elevations improved flowering time but reduced low-elevation performance, while low-elevation evolution boosted heat tolerance but decreased cold resistance.

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Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Plant Science

Background:

  • Species geographic distributions are limited, but the reasons for range margins failing to expand are not fully understood.
  • Models suggest demographic factors, dispersal, natural selection, and adaptive trade-offs contribute to stable range limits.
  • Understanding these factors is crucial for predicting species responses to environmental change.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate traits influencing the geographic distribution of Mimulus cardinalis and Mimulus lewisii.
  • To determine if adaptive trade-offs between different environments limit species' ranges.
  • To identify traits under selection for range expansion.

Main Methods:

  • Transplanting interspecific hybrids of Mimulus cardinalis and Mimulus lewisii to low and high elevations.
  • Cross-pollinating surviving hybrids to create populations selected for low or high elevation adaptation.
  • Comparing the fitness and traits of selected hybrid populations in a common environment and in environments simulating selection pressures.

Main Results:

  • Hybrids selected at high elevation exhibited earlier flowering compared to controls.
  • Hybrids selected at low elevation showed increased warm-temperature photosynthetic capacity.
  • Trade-offs were observed: high-elevation selected hybrids had reduced biomass at low-elevation temperatures, and low-elevation selected hybrids had reduced freezing resistance.

Conclusions:

  • Adaptive trade-offs between contrasting environments can limit species' geographic distributions.
  • Specific traits, such as flowering time and photosynthetic capacity, are under selection during range expansion.
  • These findings provide insights into the evolutionary mechanisms shaping species ranges.