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In a population that is not at Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, the frequency of alleles changes over time. Therefore, any deviations from the five conditions of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium can alter the genetic variation of a given population. Conditions that change the genetic variability of a population include mutations, natural selection, non-random mating, gene flow, and genetic drift (small population size).
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When maladaptive gene flow does not increase selection.

Gregor Rolshausen1, Shahin Muttalib2, Renaud Kaeuffer2

  • 1Redpath Museum and Department of Biology, McGill University, 859 Sherbrooke St. W., Montreal, Quebec, H3A0C4, Canada. gregor.rolshausen@mcgill.ca.

Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution
|July 30, 2015
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

High gene flow into populations doesn't always increase selection. Maladaptive gene flow can paradoxically decrease selection by lowering resident population fitness, a novel finding for evolutionary studies.

Keywords:
Adaptationfitnessgene flowmodels/simulationsnaturalselection

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Population Genetics

Background:

  • Gene flow is expected to increase directional selection when it pulls phenotypes away from local fitness peaks.
  • Maladaptive gene flow, where immigrants are poorly suited to the local environment, is a key factor in evolutionary adaptation.
  • Understanding the interplay between gene flow and selection is crucial for predicting evolutionary trajectories.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To test the prediction that high maladaptive gene flow leads to stronger directional selection.
  • To investigate the relationship between gene flow, population adaptation, and selection strength in natural populations.
  • To explore novel mechanisms by which gene flow might influence selection.

Main Methods:

  • A large-scale, replicated mark-recapture study was conducted on threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) in two distinct stream populations.
  • Morphological traits and gene flow levels were assessed in inlet (low gene flow) and outlet (high gene flow) populations.
  • A population genetic model was developed to explore the theoretical impact of gene flow on selection strength.

Main Results:

  • Contrary to predictions, selection was not stronger in the high gene flow (outlet) population compared to the low gene flow (inlet) population.
  • The outlet population, experiencing high gene flow, exhibited poorer adaptation.
  • A population genetic model demonstrated that maladaptive gene flow can decrease directional selection under certain conditions.

Conclusions:

  • Maladaptive gene flow does not necessarily increase directional selection.
  • Immigrant fitness can influence selection strength; if immigrants reduce resident fitness, selection against maladapted phenotypes may weaken.
  • This previously unrecognized effect of gene flow warrants further theoretical and empirical investigation in evolutionary studies.