1
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Cross RL, Eckert CG. Is adaptation associated with long-term persistence beyond a geographic range limit? Evolution 2024; 78:1527-1538. [PMID: 38869498 DOI: 10.1093/evolut/qpae092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
Adaptation to new habitats might facilitate species' range shifts in response to climate change. In 2005, we transplanted experimental populations of coastal dune plant Camissoniopsis cheiranthifolia into 4 sites within and 1 site beyond its poleward range limit. Beyond-range transplants had high fitness but often delayed reproduction. To test for adaptation associated with experimental range expansion, we transplanted descendants from beyond- and within-range populations after 10 generations in situ into 2 sites within the range, 1 at the range edge, and 2 sites beyond the range. We expected to detect adaptation to beyond-range conditions due to substantial genetic variation within experimental populations and environmental variation among sites. However, individuals from beyond-range experimental populations were not fitter than those from within the range when planted at either beyond-range site, indicating no adaptation to the beyond-range site or beyond-range environments in general. Beyond-range descendants also did not suffer lower fitness within the range. Although reproduction was again delayed beyond the range, late reproduction was not favored more strongly beyond than within the range, and beyond-range descendants did not delay reproduction more than within-range descendants. Persistence in beyond-range environments may not require adaptation, which could allow a rapid response to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Regan L Cross
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
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2
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Walter GM, Clark J, Terranova D, Cozzolino S, Cristaudo A, Hiscock SJ, Bridle J. Hidden genetic variation in plasticity provides the potential for rapid adaptation to novel environments. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 239:374-387. [PMID: 36651081 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Rapid environmental change is forcing populations into environments where plasticity will no longer maintain fitness. When populations are exposed to novel environments, evolutionary theory predicts that genetic variation in fitness will increase and should be associated with genetic differences in plasticity. If true, then genetic variation in plasticity can increase adaptive potential in novel environments, and population persistence via evolutionary rescue is more likely. To test whether genetic variation in fitness increases in novel environments and is associated with plasticity, we transplanted 8149 clones of 314 genotypes of a Sicilian daisy (Senecio chrysanthemifolius) within and outside its native range, and quantified genetic variation in fitness, and plasticity in leaf traits and gene expression. Although mean fitness declined by 87% in the novel environment, genetic variance in fitness increased threefold and was correlated with plasticity in leaf traits. High fitness genotypes showed greater plasticity in gene expression, but lower plasticity in most leaf traits. Interestingly, genotypes with the highest fitness in the novel environment had the lowest fitness at the native site. These results suggest that standing genetic variation in plasticity could help populations to persist and adapt to novel environments, despite remaining hidden in native environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greg M Walter
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - James Clark
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3RB, UK
| | - Delia Terranova
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, 95128, Italy
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, 80126, Italy
| | - Salvatore Cozzolino
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, 80126, Italy
| | - Antonia Cristaudo
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, 95128, Italy
| | - Simon J Hiscock
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3RB, UK
| | - Jon Bridle
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
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3
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D'Aguillo M, Donohue K. Changes in phenology can alter patterns of natural selection: the joint evolution of germination time and postgermination traits. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 238:405-421. [PMID: 36600403 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The timing of a developmental transition (phenology) can influence the environment experienced by subsequent life stages. When phenology causes an organism to occupy a particular habitat as a consequence of the developmental cues used, it can act as a form of habitat tracking. Evolutionary theory predicts that habitat tracking can alter the strength, direction, and mode of natural selection on subsequently expressed traits. To test whether germination phenology altered natural selection on postgermination traits, we manipulated germination time by planting seedlings in seven germination cohorts spanning 2 yr. We measured selection on postgermination traits relating to drought, freezing, and heat tolerance using a diverse combination of Arabidopsis thaliana mutants and naturally occurring ecotypes. Germination cohorts experienced variable selection: when dry, cold, and hot environments were experienced by seedlings, selection was intensified for drought, freezing, and heat tolerance, respectively. Reciprocally, postgermination traits modified the optimal germination time; genotypes had maximum fitness after germinating in environments that matched their physiological tolerances. Our results support the theoretical predictions of feedbacks between habitat tracking and traits expressed after habitat selection. In natural populations, whether phenological shifts alter selection on subsequently expressed traits will depend on the effectiveness of habitat tracking through phenology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle D'Aguillo
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Box 90338, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Kathleen Donohue
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Box 90338, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
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4
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Tataru D, Wheeler EC, Ferris KG. Spatially and temporally varying selection influence species boundaries in two sympatric Mimulus. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20222279. [PMID: 36750191 PMCID: PMC9904950 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.2279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Spatially and temporally varying selection can maintain genetic variation within and between populations, but it is less well known how these forces influence divergence between closely related species. We identify the interaction of temporal and spatial variation in selection and their role in either reinforcing or eroding divergence between two closely related Mimulus species. Using repeated reciprocal transplant experiments with advanced generation hybrids, we compare the strength of selection on quantitative traits involved in adaptation and reproductive isolation in Mimulus guttatus and Mimulus laciniatus between two years with dramatically different water availability. We found strong divergent habitat-mediated selection on traits in the direction of species differences during a drought in 2013, suggesting that spatially varying selection maintains species divergence. However, a relaxation in divergent selection on most traits in an unusually wet year (2019), including flowering time, which is involved in pre-zygotic isolation, suggests that temporal variation in selection may weaken species differences. Therefore, we find evidence that temporally and spatially varying selection may have opposing roles in mediating species boundaries. Given our changing climate, future growing seasons are expected to be more similar to the dry year, suggesting that in this system climate change may actually increase species divergence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Tataru
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, 6823 St Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
| | - Emma C. Wheeler
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, 6823 St Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
| | - Kathleen G. Ferris
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, 6823 St Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
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5
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Sacristán‐Bajo S, García‐Fernández A, Lara‐Romero C, Prieto‐Benítez S, Tabarés P, Morente‐López J, Rubio Teso ML, Alameda‐Martín A, Torres E, Iriondo JM. Population origin determines the adaptive potential for the advancement of flowering onset in Lupinus angustifolius L. (Fabaceae). Evol Appl 2022; 16:62-73. [PMID: 36699122 PMCID: PMC9850010 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
In the present framework of global warming, it is unclear whether evolutionary adaptation can happen quick enough to preserve the persistence of many species. Specifically, we lack knowledge about the adaptive potential of the different populations in relation to the various constraints that may hamper particular adaptations. There is evidence indicating that early flowering often provides an adaptive advantage to plants in temperate zones in response to global warming. Thus, the objective of this study was to assess the adaptive potential for advancing flowering onset in Lupinus angustifolius L. (Fabaceae). Seeds from four populations from two contrasting latitudes in Spain were collected and sown in a common garden environment. Selecting the 25% of the individuals that flowered earlier in the first generation, over three generations, three different early flowering selection lines were established, involving both self-crosses and outcrosses. All artificial selection lines advanced their flowering significantly with respect to the control line in the northernmost populations, but not in the southern ones. Selection lines obtained from outcrossing had a greater advancement in flowering than those from self-crossing. No differences were found in the number or weight of the seeds produced between control and artificial selection lines, probably because plants in the common garden were drip irrigated. These results suggest that northern populations may have a greater adaptive potential and that southern populations may be more vulnerable in the context of climate warming. However, earlier flowering was also associated with changes in other traits (height, biomass, shoot growth, specific leaflet area, and leaflet dry matter content), and the effects of these changes varied greatly depending on the latitude of the population and selection line. Assessments of the ability of populations to cope with climate change through this and other approaches are essential to manage species and populations in a more efficient way.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Sacristán‐Bajo
- Grupo de Ecología Evolutiva (ECOEVO), Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Dpto. de Biología, Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, ESCETUniversidad Rey Juan CarlosMadridSpain
| | - Alfredo García‐Fernández
- Grupo de Ecología Evolutiva (ECOEVO), Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Dpto. de Biología, Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, ESCETUniversidad Rey Juan CarlosMadridSpain
| | - Carlos Lara‐Romero
- Grupo de Ecología Evolutiva (ECOEVO), Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Dpto. de Biología, Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, ESCETUniversidad Rey Juan CarlosMadridSpain,Área de Botánica, Facultad de FarmaciaUniversidad ComplutenseMadridSpain
| | - Samuel Prieto‐Benítez
- Unidad de Ecotoxicología de la Contaminación Atmosférica, Departamento de Medio AmbienteCIEMATMadridSpain
| | - Pablo Tabarés
- Grupo de Ecología Evolutiva (ECOEVO), Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Dpto. de Biología, Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, ESCETUniversidad Rey Juan CarlosMadridSpain
| | - Javier Morente‐López
- Grupo de Investigación de Ecología y Evolución en IslasInstituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología (IPNA‐CSIC)TenerifeSpain
| | - María Luisa Rubio Teso
- Grupo de Ecología Evolutiva (ECOEVO), Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Dpto. de Biología, Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, ESCETUniversidad Rey Juan CarlosMadridSpain
| | | | - Elena Torres
- Departamento de Biotecnología‐Biología VegetalUniversidad Politécnica de MadridMadridSpain
| | - José María Iriondo
- Grupo de Ecología Evolutiva (ECOEVO), Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Dpto. de Biología, Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, ESCETUniversidad Rey Juan CarlosMadridSpain
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6
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Willi Y, Van Buskirk J. A review on trade-offs at the warm and cold ends of geographical distributions. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210022. [PMID: 35184594 PMCID: PMC8859520 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Species' range limits are ubiquitous. This suggests that the evolution of the ecological niche is constrained in general and at the edges of distributions in particular. While there may be many ecological and genetic reasons for this phenomenon, here we focus on the potential role of trade-offs. We performed a literature search on evidence for trade-offs associated with geographical or elevational range limits. The majority of trade-offs were reported as relevant at either the cold end of species' distribution (n = 19), the warm or dry end (n = 19) or both together (n = 14). One common type of trade-off involved accelerating growth or development (27%), often at the cost of small size. Another common type involved resistance to or tolerance of climatic extremes that occur at certain periods of the year (64%), often at the cost of small size or reduced growth. Trade-offs overlapped with some of the classic trade-offs reported in life-history evolution or thermal adaptation. The results highlight several general insights about species' niches and ranges, and we outline how future research should better integrate the ecological context and test for the presence of microevolutionary trade-offs. This article is part of the theme issue 'Species' ranges in the face of changing environments (Part II)'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvonne Willi
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Josh Van Buskirk
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zürich, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
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7
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Lopez-Idiaquez D, Teplitsky C, Grégoire A, Fargevieille A, Rey MD, Franceschi CD, Charmantier A, Doutrelant C. Long-term decrease in coloration: a consequence of climate change? Am Nat 2022; 200:32-47. [DOI: 10.1086/719655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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8
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Preston JC, Wooliver R, Driscoll H, Coughlin A, Sheth SN. Spatial variation in high temperature-regulated gene expression predicts evolution of plasticity with climate change in the scarlet monkeyflower. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:1254-1268. [PMID: 34859530 PMCID: PMC8821412 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2021] [Revised: 11/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
A major way that organisms can adapt to changing environmental conditions is by evolving increased or decreased phenotypic plasticity. In the face of current global warming, more attention is being paid to the role of plasticity in maintaining fitness as abiotic conditions change over time. However, given that temporal data can be challenging to acquire, a major question is whether evolution in plasticity across space can predict adaptive plasticity across time. In growth chambers simulating two thermal regimes, we generated transcriptome data for western North American scarlet monkeyflowers (Mimulus cardinalis) collected from different latitudes and years (2010 and 2017) to test hypotheses about how plasticity in gene expression is responding to increases in temperature, and if this pattern is consistent across time and space. Supporting the genetic compensation hypothesis, individuals whose progenitors were collected from the warmer-origin northern 2017 descendant cohort showed lower thermal plasticity in gene expression than their cooler-origin northern 2010 ancestors. This was largely due to a change in response at the warmer (40°C) rather than cooler (20°C) treatment. A similar pattern of reduced plasticity, largely due to a change in response at 40°C, was also found for the cooler-origin northern versus the warmer-origin southern population from 2017. Our results demonstrate that reduced phenotypic plasticity can evolve with warming and that spatial and temporal changes in plasticity predict one another.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill C. Preston
- Department of Plant Biology, The University of Vermont, 63 Carrigan Drive, Burlington, VT 05405, USA,Corresponding author:
| | - Rachel Wooliver
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA,Current address: Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Heather Driscoll
- Bioinformatics Core, Vermont Biomedical Research Network, Department of Biology, Norwich University, 158 Harmon Drive, Northfield, VT 05663, USA
| | - Aeran Coughlin
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Seema N. Sheth
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
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9
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Ferguson SH, Yurkowski DJ, Hudson JM, Edkins T, Willing C, Watt CA. Larger body size leads to greater female beluga whale ovarian reproductive activity at the southern periphery of their range. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:17314-17322. [PMID: 34938510 PMCID: PMC8668808 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Identification of phenotypic characteristics in reproductively successful individuals provides important insights into the evolutionary processes that cause range shifts due to environmental change. Female beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) from the Baffin Bay region (BB) of the Canadian Arctic in the core area of the species' geographic range have larger body size than their conspecifics at the southern range periphery in Hudson Bay (HB). We investigated the mechanism for this north and south divergence as it relates to ovarian reproductive activity (ORA = total corpora) that combines morphometric data with ovarian corpora counted from female reproductive tracts. Our study aim was to assess the relative influence of age and body size of female beluga whale on ORA in the two populations. Female beluga whale ORA increased more quickly with age (63% partial variation explained) in BB than in HB (41%). In contrast, body length in HB female beluga whales accounted for considerably more of the total variation (12% vs. 1%) in ORA compared to BB whales. We speculate that female HB beluga whale ORA was more strongly linked with body length due to higher population density resulting in food competition that favors the energetic advantages of larger body size during seasonal food limitations. Understanding the evolutionary mechanism of how ORA varies across a species' range will assist conservation efforts in anticipating and mitigating future challenges associated with a warming planet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven H. Ferguson
- Fisheries and Oceans CanadaFreshwater InstituteWinnipegManitobaCanada
- Biological SciencesUniversity of ManitobaWinnipegManitobaCanada
| | - David J. Yurkowski
- Fisheries and Oceans CanadaFreshwater InstituteWinnipegManitobaCanada
- Biological SciencesUniversity of ManitobaWinnipegManitobaCanada
| | - Justine M. Hudson
- Fisheries and Oceans CanadaFreshwater InstituteWinnipegManitobaCanada
| | - Tera Edkins
- Fisheries and Oceans CanadaFreshwater InstituteWinnipegManitobaCanada
| | | | - Cortney A. Watt
- Fisheries and Oceans CanadaFreshwater InstituteWinnipegManitobaCanada
- Biological SciencesUniversity of ManitobaWinnipegManitobaCanada
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10
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Van Natto AC, Eckert CG. Genetic and conservation significance of populations at the polar vs. equatorial range limits of the Pacific coastal dune endemic Abronia umbellata (Nyctaginaceae). CONSERV GENET 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-021-01409-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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11
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Pennington LK, Slatyer RA, Ruiz-Ramos DV, Veloz SD, Sexton JP. How is adaptive potential distributed within species ranges? Evolution 2021; 75:2152-2166. [PMID: 34164814 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Quantitative genetic variation (QGV) represents a major component of adaptive potential and, if reduced toward range-edge populations, could prevent a species' expansion or adaptive response to rapid ecological change. It has been hypothesized that QGV will be lower at the range edge due to small populations-often the result of poor habitat quality-and potentially decreased gene flow. However, whether central populations are higher in QGV is unknown. We used a meta-analytic approach to test for a general QGV-range position relationship, including geographic and climatic distance from range centers. We identified 35 studies meeting our criteria, yielding nearly 1000 estimates of QGV (including broad-sense heritability, narrow-sense heritability, and evolvability) from 34 species. The relationship between QGV and distance from the geographic range or climatic niche center depended on the focal trait and how QGV was estimated. We found some evidence that QGV declines from geographic centers but that it increases toward niche edges; niche and geographic distances were uncorrelated. Nevertheless, few studies have compared QGV in both central and marginal regions or environments within the same species. We call for more research in this area and discuss potential research avenues related to adaptive potential in the context of global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lillie K Pennington
- Environmental Systems Graduate Group, University of California, Merced, California, 95343
| | - Rachel A Slatyer
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, 53703.,Current Address: Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, ACT, 2600, Australia
| | - Dannise V Ruiz-Ramos
- Life and Environmental Sciences Department, University of California, Merced, California, 95343.,Current Address: U.S. Geological Survey, Columbia Environmental Research Center, Columbia, Missouri, 65201
| | - Samuel D Veloz
- Point Blue Conservation Science, Petaluma, California, 94954
| | - Jason P Sexton
- Life and Environmental Sciences Department, University of California, Merced, California, 95343
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12
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Zettlemoyer MA, Peterson ML. Does Phenological Plasticity Help or Hinder Range Shifts Under Climate Change? Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.689192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate warming is predicted to shift species’ ranges as previously uninhabitable environments just beyond the leading range edges become suitable habitat and trailing range edges become increasingly unsuitable. Understanding which aspects of the environment and species traits mediate these range shifts is critical for understanding species’ possible redistributions under global change, yet we have a limited understanding of the ecological and evolutionary responses underlying population spread or extinction at species’ range edges. Within plant populations, shifts in flowering phenology have been one of the strongest and most consistent responses to climate change, and are likely to play an important role in mediating population dynamics within and beyond species’ ranges. However, the role of phenological shifts, and particularly phenological plasticity, in species’ range shifts remains relatively unstudied. Here, we synthesize literature on phenology, plasticity, and adaptation to suggest ways in which phenological responses to climate may vary across species’ ranges and review the empirical evidence for and against these hypotheses. We then outline how phenological plasticity could facilitate or hinder persistence and potential consequences of phenological plasticity in range expansions, including phenological cues, shifts in correlated traits, altered species interactions, and effects on gene flow. Finally, we suggest future avenues for research, such as characterizing reaction norms for phenology across a species’ range and in beyond-the-range transplant experiments. Given the prevalence and magnitude of phenological shifts, future work should carefully dissect its costs and benefits for population persistence, and incorporate phenological plasticity into models predicting species’ persistence and geographic range shifts under climate change.
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13
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Ensing DJ, Sora DMDH, Eckert CG. Chronic selection for early reproductive phenology in an annual plant across a steep, elevational gradient of growing season length. Evolution 2021; 75:1681-1698. [PMID: 34048598 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2020] [Revised: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Colonization along ubiquitous gradients of growing season length should require adaptation of phenological traits, driven by natural selection. Although phenology often varies with season length and genetic differentiation in phenological traits sometimes seems adaptive, few studies test whether natural selection is responsible for these patterns. The annual plant Rhinanthus minor is genetically differentiated for phenology across a 1000-m elevational gradient of growing season length in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. We estimated phenotypic selection on five phenological traits for three generations of naturally occurring individuals at 12 sites (n = 10,112), and two generations of genetically and phenotypically more variable transplanted populations at nine of these sites (n = 24,611). Selection was weak for most traits, but consistently favored early flowering across the gradient rather than only under short seasons. There was no evidence that apparent selection favoring early reproduction arose from failure to consider all components of fitness, or variation in other correlated phenological traits. Instead, selection for earlier flowering may be balanced by selection for strong cogradient phenological plasticity that indirectly favors later flowering. However, this probably does not explain the consistency of selection on flowering time across this steep, elevational gradient of growing season length.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Ensing
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Dylan M D H Sora
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada
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14
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Nelson TC, Muir CD, Stathos AM, Vanderpool DD, Anderson K, Angert AL, Fishman L. Quantitative trait locus mapping reveals an independent genetic basis for joint divergence in leaf function, life-history, and floral traits between scarlet monkeyflower (Mimulus cardinalis) populations. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2021; 108:844-856. [PMID: 34036561 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Across taxa, vegetative and floral traits that vary along a fast-slow life-history axis are often correlated with leaf functional traits arrayed along the leaf economics spectrum, suggesting a constrained set of adaptive trait combinations. Such broad-scale convergence may arise from genetic constraints imposed by pleiotropy (or tight linkage) within species, or from natural selection alone. Understanding the genetic basis of trait syndromes and their components is key to distinguishing these alternatives and predicting evolution in novel environments. METHODS We used a line-cross approach and quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping to characterize the genetic basis of twenty leaf functional/physiological, life history, and floral traits in hybrids between annualized and perennial populations of scarlet monkeyflower (Mimulus cardinalis). RESULTS We mapped both single and multi-trait QTLs for life history, leaf function and reproductive traits, but found no evidence of genetic co-ordination across categories. A major QTL for three leaf functional traits (thickness, photosynthetic rate, and stomatal resistance) suggests that a simple shift in leaf anatomy may be key to adaptation to seasonally dry habitats. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that the co-ordination of resource-acquisitive leaf physiological traits with a fast life-history and more selfing mating system results from environmental selection rather than functional or genetic constraint. Independent assortment of distinct trait modules, as well as a simple genetic basis to leaf physiological traits associated with drought escape, may facilitate adaptation to changing climates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas C Nelson
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 59812, USA
| | - Christopher D Muir
- Departments of Botany and Zoology and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
- School of Life Sciences, University of Hawai'i, Honolulu, Hawai'i, 96822, USA
| | - Angela M Stathos
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 59812, USA
| | - Daniel D Vanderpool
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 59812, USA
| | - Kayli Anderson
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 59812, USA
| | - Amy L Angert
- Departments of Botany and Zoology and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Lila Fishman
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 59812, USA
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15
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Sianta SA, Kay KM. Parallel evolution of phenological isolation across the speciation continuum in serpentine-adapted annual wildflowers. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20203076. [PMID: 33849321 PMCID: PMC8059516 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.3076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the relative importance of reproductive isolating mechanisms across the speciation continuum remains an outstanding challenge in evolutionary biology. Here, we examine a common isolating mechanism, reproductive phenology, between plant sister taxa at different stages of adaptive divergence to gain insight into its relative importance during speciation. We study 17 plant taxa that have independently adapted to inhospitable serpentine soils, and contrast each with a nonserpentine sister taxon to form pairs at either ecotypic or species-level divergence. We use greenhouse-based reciprocal transplants in field soils to quantify how often flowering time (FT) shifts accompany serpentine adaptation, when FT shifts evolve during speciation, and the genetic versus plastic basis of these shifts. We find that genetically based shifts in FT in serpentine-adapted taxa are pervasive regardless of the stage of divergence. Although plasticity increases FT shifts in five of the pairs, the degree of plasticity does not differ when comparing ecotypic versus species-level divergence. FT shifts generally led to significant, but incomplete, reproductive isolation that did not vary in strength by stage of divergence. Our work shows that adaptation to a novel habitat may predictably drive phenological isolation early in the speciation process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelley A. Sianta
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, 130 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Kathleen M. Kay
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, 130 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
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16
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Anstett DN, Branch HA, Angert AL. Regional differences in rapid evolution during severe drought. Evol Lett 2021; 5:130-142. [PMID: 33868709 PMCID: PMC8045920 DOI: 10.1002/evl3.218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Revised: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change is increasing drought intensity, threatening biodiversity. Rapid evolution of drought adaptations might be required for population persistence, particularly in rear-edge populations that may already be closer to physiological limits. Resurrection studies are a useful tool to assess adaptation to climate change, yet these studies rarely encompass the geographic range of a species. Here, we sampled 11 populations of scarlet monkeyflower (Mimulus cardinalis), collecting seeds across the plants' northern, central, and southern range to track trait evolution from the lowest to the greatest moisture anomaly over a 7-year period. We grew families generated from these populations across well-watered and terminal drought treatments in a greenhouse and quantified five traits associated with dehydration escape and avoidance. When considering pre-drought to peak-drought phenotypes, we find that later date of flowering evolved across the range of M. cardinalis, suggesting a shift away from dehydration escape. Instead, traits consistent with dehydration avoidance evolved, with smaller and/or thicker leaves evolving in central and southern regions. The southern region also saw a loss of plasticity in these leaf traits by the peak of the drought, whereas flowering time remained plastic across all regions. This observed shift in traits from escape to avoidance occurred only in certain regions, revealing the importance of geographic context when examining adaptations to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel N Anstett
- Biodiversity Research Centre and Department of Botany University of British Columbia Vancouver British Columbia V6T 1Z4 Canada
| | - Haley A Branch
- Biodiversity Research Centre and Department of Botany University of British Columbia Vancouver British Columbia V6T 1Z4 Canada
| | - Amy L Angert
- Biodiversity Research Centre and Department of Botany University of British Columbia Vancouver British Columbia V6T 1Z4 Canada.,Department of Zoology University of British Columbia Vancouver British Columbia V6T 1Z4 Canada
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17
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Vtipil EE, Sheth SN. A resurrection study reveals limited evolution of phenology in response to recent climate change across the geographic range of the scarlet monkeyflower. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:14165-14177. [PMID: 33391707 PMCID: PMC7771151 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
PREMISE OF THE STUDY As global climate change alters drought regimes, rapid evolution of traits that facilitate adaptation to drought can rescue populations in decline. The evolution of phenological advancement can allow plant populations to escape drought, but evolutionary responses in phenology can vary across a species' range due to differences in drought intensity and standing genetic variation. METHODS Mimulus cardinalis, a perennial herb spanning a broad climatic gradient, recently experienced a period of record drought. Here, we used a resurrection study comparing flowering time and stem height at first flower of pre-drought ancestors and post-drought descendants from northern-edge, central, and southern-edge populations in a common environment to examine the evolution of drought escape across the latitudinal range. KEY RESULTS Contrary to the hypothesis of the evolution of advanced phenology in response to recent drought, flowering time did not advance between ancestors and descendants in any population, though storage condition and maternal effects could have impacted these results. Stem height was positively correlated with flowering time, such that plants that flowered earlier were shorter at first flower. This correlation could constrain the evolution of earlier flowering time if selection favors flowering early at a large size. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that rapid evolution of phenology will not rescue these populations from recent climate change. Future work is needed to examine the potential for the evolution of alternative drought strategies and phenotypic plasticity to buffer M. cardinalis populations from changing climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma E. Vtipil
- Department of Plant and Microbial BiologyNorth Carolina State UniversityRaleighNCUSA
| | - Seema Nayan Sheth
- Department of Plant and Microbial BiologyNorth Carolina State UniversityRaleighNCUSA
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18
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Angert AL, Bontrager MG, Ågren J. What Do We Really Know About Adaptation at Range Edges? ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY EVOLUTION AND SYSTEMATICS 2020. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-012120-091002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Recent theory and empirical evidence have provided new insights regarding how evolutionary forces interact to shape adaptation at stable and transient range margins. Predictions regarding trait divergence at leading edges are frequently supported. However, declines in fitness at and beyond edges show that trait divergence has sometimes been insufficient to maintain high fitness, so identifying constraints to adaptation at range edges remains a key challenge. Indirect evidence suggests that range expansion may be limited by adaptive genetic variation, but direct estimates of genetic constraints at and beyond range edges are still scarce. Sequence data suggest increased genetic load in edge populations in several systems, but its causes and fitness consequences are usually poorly understood. The balance between maladaptive and positive effects of gene flow on fitness at range edges deserves further study. It is becoming increasingly clear that characterizations about degree of adaptation based solely on geographical peripherality are unsupported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy L. Angert
- Departments of Botany and Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Megan G. Bontrager
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA
| | - Jon Ågren
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
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19
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Wooliver R, Tittes SB, Sheth SN. A resurrection study reveals limited evolution of thermal performance in response to recent climate change across the geographic range of the scarlet monkeyflower. Evolution 2020; 74:1699-1710. [PMID: 32537737 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Revised: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Evolutionary rescue can prevent populations from declining under climate change, and should be more likely at high-latitude, "leading" edges of species' ranges due to greater temperature anomalies and gene flow from warm-adapted populations. Using a resurrection study with seeds collected before and after a 7-year period of record warming, we tested for thermal adaptation in the scarlet monkeyflower Mimulus cardinalis. We grew ancestors and descendants from northern-edge, central, and southern-edge populations across eight temperatures. Despite recent climate anomalies, populations showed limited evolution of thermal performance curves. However, one southern population evolved a narrower thermal performance breadth by 1.31°C, which matches the direction and magnitude of the average decrease in seasonality experienced. Consistent with the climate variability hypothesis, thermal performance breadth increased with temperature seasonality across the species' geographic range. Inconsistent with performance trade-offs between low and high temperatures across populations, we did not detect a positive relationship between thermal optimum and mean temperature. These findings fail to support the hypothesis that evolutionary response to climate change is greatest at the leading edge, and suggest that the evolution of thermal performance is unlikely to rescue most populations from the detrimental effects of rapidly changing climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Wooliver
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina
| | - Silas B Tittes
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, California
| | - Seema N Sheth
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina
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20
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Walter GM, Abbott RJ, Brennan AC, Bridle JR, Chapman M, Clark J, Filatov D, Nevado B, Ortiz-Barrientos D, Hiscock SJ. Senecio as a model system for integrating studies of genotype, phenotype and fitness. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2020; 226:326-344. [PMID: 31951018 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Two major developments have made it possible to use examples of ecological radiations as model systems to understand evolution and ecology. First, the integration of quantitative genetics with ecological experiments allows detailed connections to be made between genotype, phenotype, and fitness in the field. Second, dramatic advances in molecular genetics have created new possibilities for integrating field and laboratory experiments with detailed genetic sequencing. Combining these approaches allows evolutionary biologists to better study the interplay between genotype, phenotype, and fitness to explore a wide range of evolutionary processes. Here, we present the genus Senecio (Asteraceae) as an excellent system to integrate these developments, and to address fundamental questions in ecology and evolution. Senecio is one of the largest and most phenotypically diverse genera of flowering plants, containing species ranging from woody perennials to herbaceous annuals. These Senecio species exhibit many growth habits, life histories, and morphologies, and they occupy a multitude of environments. Common within the genus are species that have hybridized naturally, undergone polyploidization, and colonized diverse environments, often through rapid phenotypic divergence and adaptive radiation. These diverse experimental attributes make Senecio an attractive model system in which to address a broad range of questions in evolution and ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greg M Walter
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Richard J Abbott
- School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9TH, UK
| | - Adrian C Brennan
- School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, University of Durham, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Jon R Bridle
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Mark Chapman
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - James Clark
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3RB, UK
| | - Dmitry Filatov
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3RB, UK
| | - Bruno Nevado
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3RB, UK
| | | | - Simon J Hiscock
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3RB, UK
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21
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Cross RL, Eckert CG. Integrated empirical approaches to better understand species' range limits. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2020; 107:12-16. [PMID: 31828769 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Regan L Cross
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada
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22
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Dickman EE, Pennington LK, Franks SJ, Sexton JP. Evidence for adaptive responses to historic drought across a native plant species range. Evol Appl 2019; 12:1569-1582. [PMID: 31462915 PMCID: PMC6708426 DOI: 10.1111/eva.12803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2018] [Revised: 03/15/2019] [Accepted: 03/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
As climatic conditions change, species will be forced to move or adapt to avoid extinction. Exacerbated by ongoing climate change, California recently experienced a severe and exceptional drought from 2011 to 2017. To investigate whether an adaptive response occurred during this event, we conducted a "resurrection" study of the cutleaf monkeyflower (Mimulus laciniatus), an annual plant, by comparing trait means and variances of ancestral seed collections ("pre-drought") with contemporary descendant collections ("drought"). Plants were grown under common conditions to test whether this geographically restricted species has the capacity to respond evolutionarily to climate stress across its range. We examined if traits shifted in response to the recent, severe drought and included populations across an elevation gradient, including populations at the low- and high-elevation edges of the species range. We found that time to seedling emergence in the drought generation was significantly earlier than in the pre-drought generation, a response consistent with drought adaptation. Additionally, trait variation in days to emergence was reduced in the drought generation, which suggests selection or bottleneck events. Days to first flower increased significantly by elevation, consistent with climate adaptation across the species range. Drought generation plants were larger and had greater reproduction, which was likely a carryover effect of earlier germination. These results demonstrate that rapid shifts in trait means and variances consistent with climate adaptation are occurring within populations, including peripheral populations at warm and cold climate limits, of a plant species with a relatively restricted range that has so far not shifted its elevation distribution during contemporary climate change. Thus, rapid evolution may mitigate, at least temporarily, range shifts under global climate change. This study highlights the need for better understanding rapid adaptation as a means for plant communities to cope with extraordinary climate events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin E. Dickman
- Department of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of CaliforniaMercedCalifornia
- Yosemite National ParkEl PortalCalifornia
| | - Lillie K. Pennington
- Department of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of CaliforniaMercedCalifornia
| | - Steven J. Franks
- Department of Biological SciencesFordham UniversityBronxNew York
| | - Jason P. Sexton
- Department of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of CaliforniaMercedCalifornia
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23
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O'Brien AM, Sawers RJ, Strauss SY, Ross‐Ibarra J. Adaptive phenotypic divergence in an annual grass differs across biotic contexts*. Evolution 2019; 73:2230-2246. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.13818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2019] [Accepted: 06/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anna M. O'Brien
- Center for Population Biology University of California Davis California 95616
- Department of Plant Sciences University of California Davis California 95616
- Department of Evolution and Ecology University of California Davis California 95616
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Toronto Toronto Ontario M5S 3B2 Canada
| | - Ruairidh J.H. Sawers
- Laboratorio Nacional de Genómica para la Biodiversidad (LANGEBIO) Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV‐IPN) Irapuato 36821 Guanajuato Mexico
| | - Sharon Y. Strauss
- Center for Population Biology University of California Davis California 95616
- Department of Evolution and Ecology University of California Davis California 95616
| | - Jeffrey Ross‐Ibarra
- Center for Population Biology University of California Davis California 95616
- Department of Plant Sciences University of California Davis California 95616
- Department of Evolution and Ecology University of California Davis California 95616
- Genome Center University of California Davis California 95616
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24
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Angert AL, Bayly M, Sheth SN, Paul JR. Testing Range-Limit Hypotheses Using Range-Wide Habitat Suitability and Occupancy for the Scarlet Monkeyflower (Erythranthe cardinalis). Am Nat 2018. [DOI: 10.1086/695984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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25
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Theobald EJ, Breckheimer I, HilleRisLambers J. Climate drives phenological reassembly of a mountain wildflower meadow community. Ecology 2017; 98:2799-2812. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.1996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2017] [Revised: 06/15/2017] [Accepted: 07/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Elli J. Theobald
- Biology Department University of Washington Seattle Washington 98195 USA
| | - Ian Breckheimer
- Biology Department University of Washington Seattle Washington 98195 USA
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26
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Ettinger A, HilleRisLambers J. Competition and facilitation may lead to asymmetric range shift dynamics with climate change. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2017; 23:3921-3933. [PMID: 28161909 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2016] [Accepted: 12/23/2016] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Forecasts of widespread range shifts with climate change stem from assumptions that climate drives species' distributions. However, local adaptation and biotic interactions also influence range limits and thus may impact range shifts. Despite the potential importance of these factors, few studies have directly tested their effects on performance at range limits. We address how population-level variation and biotic interactions may affect range shifts by transplanting seeds and seedlings of western North American conifers of different origin populations into different competitive neighborhoods within and beyond their elevational ranges and monitoring their performance. We find evidence that competition with neighboring trees limits performance within current ranges, but that interactions between adults and juveniles switch from competitive to facilitative at upper range limits. Local adaptation had weaker effects on performance that did not predictably vary with range position or seed origin. Our findings suggest that competitive interactions may slow species turnover within forests at lower range limits, whereas facilitative interactions may accelerate the pace of tree expansions upward near timberline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ailene Ettinger
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
- Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02131, USA
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27
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Austen EJ, Rowe L, Stinchcombe JR, Forrest JRK. Explaining the apparent paradox of persistent selection for early flowering. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2017; 215:929-934. [PMID: 28418161 DOI: 10.1111/nph.14580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Decades of observation in natural plant populations have revealed pervasive phenotypic selection for early flowering onset. This consistent pattern seems at odds with life-history theory, which predicts stabilizing selection on age and size at reproduction. Why is selection for later flowering rare? Moreover, extensive evidence demonstrates that flowering time can and does evolve. What maintains ongoing directional selection for early flowering? Several non-mutually exclusive processes can help to reconcile the apparent paradox of selection for early flowering. We outline four: selection through other fitness components may counter observed fecundity selection for early flowering; asymmetry in the flowering-time-fitness function may make selection for later flowering hard to detect; flowering time and fitness may be condition-dependent; and selection on flowering duration is largely unaccounted for. In this Viewpoint, we develop these four mechanisms, and highlight areas where further study will improve our understanding of flowering-time evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily J Austen
- Biology Department, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Locke Rowe
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S3B2, Canada
| | - John R Stinchcombe
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S3B2, Canada
- Koffler Scientific Reserve at Joker's Hill, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, L7B 1K5, Canada
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28
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Ofori BY, Beaumont LJ, Stow AJ. Cunningham's skinks show low genetic connectivity and signatures of divergent selection across its distribution. Ecol Evol 2016; 7:48-57. [PMID: 28070274 PMCID: PMC5214970 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2016] [Revised: 10/25/2016] [Accepted: 10/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Establishing corridors of connecting habitat has become a mainstay conservation strategy to maintain gene flow and facilitate climate‐driven range shifts. Yet, little attention has been given to ascertaining the extent to which corridors will benefit philopatric species, which might exhibit localized adaptation. Measures of genetic connectivity and adaptive genetic variation across species’ ranges can help fill this knowledge gap. Here, we characterized the spatial genetic structure of Cunningham's skink (Egernia cunninghami), a philopatric species distributed along Australia's Great Dividing Range, and assessed evidence of localized adaptation. Analysis of 4,274 SNPs from 94 individuals sampled at four localities spanning 500 km and 4° of latitude revealed strong genetic structuring at neutral loci (mean FST ± SD = 0.603 ± 0.237) among the localities. Putatively neutral SNPs and those under divergent selection yielded contrasting spatial patterns, with the latter identifying two genetically distinct clusters. Given low genetic connectivity of the four localities, we suggest that the natural movement rate of this species is insufficient to keep pace with spatial shifts to its climate envelope, irrespective of habitat availability. In addition, our finding of localized adaptation highlights the risk of outbreeding depression should the translocation of individuals be adopted as a conservation management strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Y Ofori
- Department of Biological Sciences Macquarie University North Ryde Macquarie Park NSW Australia; Department Animal Biology and Conservation Science University of Ghana Legon-Accra Ghana
| | - Linda J Beaumont
- Department of Biological Sciences Macquarie University North Ryde Macquarie Park NSW Australia
| | - Adam J Stow
- Department of Biological Sciences Macquarie University North Ryde Macquarie Park NSW Australia
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