The oligogenic view of adaptation

Area of Science:

• Evolutionary biology
• Genetics

Background:

• Traditional evolutionary theory posits slow change driven by numerous small-effect genes.
• Recent studies reveal rapid evolution can be dominated by large-effect mutations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To challenge the traditional view of slow evolution.
• To highlight the role of large-effect mutations in rapid adaptation.
• To explore the potential for predicting evolutionary change.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of recent laboratory and field studies on rapid evolution.
• Examination of mutation effects and their fixation during adaptation.
• Review of experimental evolution data and genomic studies.

Main Results:

• Beneficial mutations with large effects are more likely to become fixed during rapid adaptation.
• Adaptation is predominantly driven by a minority of large-effect alleles.
• Predicting evolutionary change is possible within limits, especially for simple genomes.

Conclusions:

• The genetic basis of adaptation is increasingly understood, shifting from small-effect to large-effect mutations.
• Identifying and characterizing adaptive mutations is becoming more feasible.
• Predictive models for evolutionary change are advancing, offering new insights into genetics and ecology.