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Assortative mating and gene flow generate clinal phenological variation in trees
Jean-Paul Soularue1, Antoine Kremer
1INRA, UMR 1202 BIOGECO, Cestas F-33610, France.
BMC Evolutionary Biology
|June 12, 2012
Summary
Assortative mating and gene flow can drive genetic differentiation in tree bud burst timing, even without divergent selection. Climate change may intensify these patterns, impacting forest adaptation.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Forest Genetics
Background:
- Climate change alters tree bud burst timing (TBB) in temperate regions.
- Understanding genetic variation in TBB is crucial for predicting forest population adaptability.
- Previous research focused on divergent selection, but the role of mating patterns was less explored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if assortative mating and gene flow can explain observed genetic variation in tree TBB.
- To model the joint effects of these factors on phenological trait differentiation.
Main Methods:
- Utilized an in silico approach using quantitative genetic models.
- Simulated scenarios with assortative mating, gene flow, and environmental gradients.
Main Results:
- Genetic clines in TBB can form without divergent selection, driven by assortative mating and environmental gradients.
- Assortative mating influences the genetic makeup of populations by screening immigrant alleles.
- Additive genetic variance within populations increased, but also declined due to restricted gene flow from phenological matching.
Conclusions:
- Assortative mating and gene flow are sufficient to generate observed genetic variation patterns in tree phenological traits.
- Anticipate amplified genetic differentiation in forest trees due to climate change-induced temperature increases.
- Natural selection may further modify these trends if phenological traits are linked to fitness.
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