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Induction and Evaluation of Inbreeding Crosses Using the Ant, Vollenhovia Emeryi
Published on: October 5, 2018
Reduced inbreeding depression after species range expansion
Benoit Pujol1, Shu-Rong Zhou, Julia Sanchez Vilas
1Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RB, United Kingdom.
Summary
Species range expansion after climate warming reduces genetic variation and inbreeding depression in marginal populations. This evolutionary history can favor self-fertilization, explaining its prevalence in these areas.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Ecology
- Population genetics
Background:
- Species expanded geographic ranges during post-Pleistocene climate warming.
- Range expansions cause genetic bottlenecks, reducing variation in marginal populations.
- Reduced genetic variation can impair responsiveness to natural selection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of range expansion on inbreeding depression.
- To understand the evolutionary consequences for mating systems in marginal populations.
Main Methods:
- Compared inbreeding depression across 20 populations of a common European plant.
- Utilized multilocus computer simulations to model range expansion effects.
Main Results:
- Marginal populations exhibited significantly reduced inbreeding depression compared to core populations.
- Computer simulations corroborated the observed pattern of depleted inbreeding depression.
Conclusions:
- Range expansion history strongly depletes inbreeding depression in marginal populations.
- Reduced inbreeding depression may facilitate the evolution of self-fertilization.
- This provides a mechanism explaining the high frequency of selfing in range-expanding populations.
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