The paradox of adaptive trait clines with nonclinal patterns in the underlying genes.

ABSTRACT: Multivariate climate change presents an urgent need to understand how species adapt to complex environments. Population genetic theory predicts that loci under selection will form monotonic allele frequency clines with their selective environment, which has led to the wide use of genotype-environment associations (GEAs). This study used a set of simulations to elucidate the conditions under which allele frequency clines are more or less likely to evolve as multiple quantitative traits adapt to multivariate environments. Phenotypic clines evolved with nonmonotonic (i.e., nonclinal) patterns in allele frequencies under conditions that promoted unique combinations of mutations to achieve the multivariate optimum in different parts of the landscape. Such conditions resulted from interactions a

SUBMITTER: Lotterhos KE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10041142 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature