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Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations

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Published on: February 3, 2023

Genomic architecture controls multivariate adaptation to climate change.

Drew E Terasaki Hart^1,2,3, Ian J Wang¹

¹Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA.

Global Change Biology

|February 25, 2024

Summary

Genomic architecture influences how wild populations adapt to climate change. High polygenicity can harm populations, while genetic redundancy enhances adaptive capacity for evolutionary rescue.

Keywords:

adaptation climate change gene flow genetic redundancy genomic architecture landscape genomics spatial simulation

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Environmentally Induced Heritable Changes in Flax

Environmentally Induced Heritable Changes in Flax

Published on: January 26, 2011

Area of Science:

Evolutionary biology
Genomics
Climate change adaptation

Background:

Climate change creates novel environments, stressing wild populations.
Evolutionary rescue mechanisms include adaptive gene flow and in situ adaptation.
Genomic architecture's role in evolutionary responses to climate change is often overlooked.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate how genomic architecture affects microevolutionary responses to environmental change.
To examine the influence of polygenicity, linkage, and genetic redundancy on adaptive gene flow and in situ adaptation.

Main Methods:

Simulated microevolutionary responses to environmental change.
Varied scenarios based on polygenicity, linkage, and genetic redundancy of traits.
Focused on one trait adapted to a shifting climate gradient.

Main Results:

Climate-tracking gene flow was constrained by lower linkage and higher polygenicity/redundancy, favoring in situ adaptation.
High polygenicity led to increased maladaptation and demographic decline.
High genetic redundancy enhanced adaptive capacity.

Conclusions:

Genomic architecture significantly mediates evolutionary rescue under climate change.
In situ adaptation is a key mechanism, especially under certain genomic conditions.
Genetic redundancy is crucial for adaptive capacity, highlighting its importance in predicting species' climatic vulnerability.