Evolutionary trade-offs between intergenerational and transgenerational fitness effects.

Area of Science:

• Evolutionary biology
• Genetics
• Developmental biology

Background:

• Intergenerational and transgenerational fitness effects influence evolutionary trajectories.
• Theoretical models suggest potential trade-offs between these effects.
• Understanding these multigenerational dynamics is crucial for evolutionary processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate multigenerational fitness trade-offs induced by environmental stress.
• To examine the consequences of beneficial intergenerational effects on subsequent generations.
• To determine if adaptive intergenerational gains can be linked to maladaptive transgenerational outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Utilized theoretical modeling and experimental approaches in *Caenorhabditis elegans*.
• Investigated fitness effects across multiple generations following larval starvation.
• Employed demographic simulation models to assess genotype competition.

Main Results:

• Larval starvation induced cascading fitness effects across generations.
• Direct offspring exhibited increased fitness, while great-grand-offspring experienced fitness costs.
• Genotypes exploiting short-term intergenerational advantages outcompeted others despite long-term costs.

Conclusions:

• Adaptive intergenerational gains can be intrinsically linked to maladaptive transgenerational outcomes.
• Challenges the assumption that all transgenerational effects are inherently beneficial.
• Highlights the significant role of multigenerational trade-offs in shaping evolutionary adaptation.