The Genetic Consequences of Range Expansion and Its Influence on Diploidization in Polyploids.

ABSTRACT: AbstractDespite newly formed polyploids being subjected to myriad fitness consequences, the relative prevalence of polyploidy, both contemporarily and in ancestral branches of the tree of life, suggests alternative advantages that outweigh these consequences. One proposed advantage is that polyploids may more easily colonize novel habitats, such as deglaciated areas. However, previous research conducted in diploids suggests that range expansion comes with a fitness cost, as deleterious mutations may fix rapidly on the expansion front. Here, we interrogate the potential consequences of expansion in polyploids by conducting spatially explicit forward-in-time simulations to investigate how ploidy and inheritance patterns impact the relative ability of polyploids to expand their range. We show

SUBMITTER: Booker WW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12469213 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature