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Related Concept Videos

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Increased adaptive potential in novel environments can be predicted from genetic variance in development time expressed in native environments.

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Updated: Jun 17, 2026

Genetic Mapping of Thermotolerance Differences Between Species of Saccharomyces Yeast via Genome-Wide Reciprocal Hemizygosity Analysis
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Linking genome size variation to phenotypic selection on target traits.

Lucrezia Laccetti1, Emilio Petrone-Mendoza1, Donata Cafasso1

  • 1Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.

Ecology
|June 16, 2026
PubMed
Summary

Genome size (GS) variation within and between species is influenced by selective pressures on phenotypic traits. Ecological factors shape traits linked to GS, bridging micro- and macroevolutionary processes.

Keywords:
DianthusHadena spp.abiotic and biotic selective pressuresfloral traitsgenome sizeleaf functional traits

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Plant Genomics
  • Ecology

Background:

  • Genome size (GS) exhibits significant variation across and within angiosperm species.
  • This variation is often linked to phenotypic traits, suggesting indirect selection on GS evolution.
  • Microevolutionary processes driving GS changes within species are less understood compared to broad phylogenetic scales.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how selective pressures shape genome size (GS) evolution at the microevolutionary level within recently diverged lineages.
  • To link microevolutionary patterns of GS variation to macroevolutionary processes by studying two Dianthus rupicola lineages.
  • To identify ecological factors and selective pressures driving GS and associated phenotypic trait evolution.

Main Methods:

  • Flow cytometry was used to estimate genome size (GS) in Dianthus rupicola populations.
  • Leaf and floral traits were measured, and allometric relationships with GS were analyzed.
  • Environmental factors and plant reproductive success were quantified to identify selective pressures.

Main Results:

  • Substantial GS variation was observed within and between the two Dianthus rupicola lineages.
  • GS showed a strong allometric relationship with leaf traits (stomata area, epidermal cell dimension) and floral traits (style length).
  • Leaf traits indicated local adaptation to edaphic environments, while style length variation was linked to divergent biotic pressures, including a seed predator.

Conclusions:

  • Ecological factors significantly influence traits that covary with genome size (GS).
  • This study provides a framework for understanding the interplay between microevolutionary and macroevolutionary processes in GS evolution.
  • Selection on phenotypic traits, driven by ecological interactions, can indirectly shape genome size evolution within and among species.