Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 12, 2026
10:23
A Concoction Pipeline for Generating Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs) Among Riparian and Aquatic Beetles
Published on: July 11, 2025
The coalescent in boundary-limited range expansions
Jens Nullmeier1, Oskar Hallatschek
1Biophysics and Evolutionary Dynamics Group, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, 37073 Göttingen, Germany.
Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution
|April 27, 2013
Summary
Species range shifts due to climate change can impact population genetics. Boundary-limited expansions, unlike phenotype-limited ones, result in less genetic diversity loss if habitats support large populations.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Population Genetics
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- Species' habitat ranges are dynamic, shifting due to climate change, human activities, and adaptation.
- These range shifts can lead to significant population genetic consequences, including genetic drift via the "surfing" phenomenon.
- Existing models often assume range expansion speed is limited by species' traits (phenotype-limited), but habitat boundary movement (boundary-limited) is also a key factor.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a coalescent model for analyzing the genetic impact of boundary-limited range expansions.
- To compare the genetic consequences of boundary-limited expansions with phenotype-limited expansions.
- To identify the unique genetic footprint of boundary-limited range expansions.
Main Methods:
- Development of a coalescent model to simulate range expansion dynamics.
- Analysis of genetic diversity loss under different expansion scenarios.
- Comparison of simulation results with theoretical predictions.
Main Results:
- Boundary-limited range expansions lead to substantially lower genetic diversity loss compared to phenotype-limited expansions, especially when high carrying capacities are maintained at the habitat frontier.
- The total loss of genetic diversity in boundary-limited expansions is independent of the expansion speed; slower expansions have lower rates but longer durations.
- Boundary-limited expansions leave a distinct genetic signature that differentiates them from expansions solely limited by species' intrinsic characteristics.
Conclusions:
- Range expansions driven by habitat boundary movement have unique genetic consequences.
- The speed of expansion is not the sole determinant of genetic diversity loss in boundary-limited scenarios.
- Distinguishing between boundary-limited and phenotype-limited range expansions is crucial for accurate interpretation of population genetic data.
Related Concept Videos
01:20Region of Convergence of Laplace Tarnsform
The Region of Convergence (ROC) is a fundamental concept in signal processing and system analysis, particularly associated with the Laplace transform. The ROC represents an area in the complex plane where the Laplace transform of a given signal converges, determining the transform's applicability and utility.
Consider a decaying exponential signal that begins at a specific time. When deriving its Laplace transform, the time-domain variable is replaced with a complex variable. This substitution...
Consider a decaying exponential signal that begins at a specific time. When deriving its Laplace transform, the time-domain variable is replaced with a complex variable. This substitution...
01:17Region of Convergence
The z-transform is a powerful mathematical tool used in the analysis of discrete-time signals and systems. It is a crucial tool in the analysis of discrete-time systems, but its convergence is limited to specific values of the complex variable z. This range of values, known as the Region of Convergence (ROC), is fundamental in determining the behavior and stability of a system or signal. The ROC defines the region in the complex plane where the z-transform converges, which can take various...
01:21Boundary Conditions: Lossless Lines
Consider a single-phase, two-wire, lossless transmission line terminated by an impedance at the receiving end and a source with Thevenin voltage and impedance at the sending end. The line, with length, has a surge impedance and wave velocity determined by the line's inductance and capacitance.
At the receiving end, the boundary condition states that the voltage equals the product of the receiving-end impedance and current. This relationship is expressed as a function of the incident and...
At the receiving end, the boundary condition states that the voltage equals the product of the receiving-end impedance and current. This relationship is expressed as a function of the incident and...
01:38Limits to Natural Selection
Organisms that are well-adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce. However, natural selection does not lead to perfectly adapted organisms. Several factors constrain natural selection.
02:04Conservation of Small Populations
Small population sizes put a species at extreme risk of extinction due to a lack of variation, and a consequent decrease in adaptability. This weakens the chances of survival under pressures such as climate change, competition from other species, or new diseases. Large populations are more likely to survive pressures such as these, as such populations are more likely to harbor individuals that have genetic variants that are adaptive under new stresses. Small populations are much less likely to...
02:16Genetics of Speciation
Speciation is the evolutionary process resulting in the formation of new, distinct species—groups of reproductively isolated populations.