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Evolving generalist genotypes, those fit across diverse environments, is challenging. Intermediate-timescale environmental changes reliably evolve generalists, unlike static or rapidly fluctuating conditions.

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Population genetics
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Natural environments pose challenges, favoring specialized genotypes.
  • Generalist genotypes, fit across multiple environments, are difficult to evolve.
  • B cell affinity maturation involves selecting broadly neutralizing antibodies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how environmental dynamics influence the evolution of generalist genotypes.
  • To determine optimal environmental change timescales for evolving generalists.
  • To explore the impact of complex dynamic environments on evolutionary outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • Simulating evolutionary dynamics under varying environmental change rates.
  • Comparing evolutionary outcomes in static versus dynamic environments.
  • Analyzing the rate of generalist evolution from specialist populations.

Main Results:

  • Intermediate-timescale environmental changes significantly enhance the evolution of generalists.
  • Faster or slower environmental changes are less effective in evolving generalists.
  • Complex dynamic environments, like frequency chirps, further increase generalist yield.
  • The reverse process (specialist evolution from generalists) is not enhanced.

Conclusions:

  • Environmental change on timescales comparable to evolutionary transients is key for evolving generalists.
  • Dynamic fitness landscapes can guide populations toward previously unobtainable genotypes.
  • This provides design principles for manipulating evolutionary trajectories.