The Shapes of Clines and Wavefronts.

ABSTRACT: Cline theory has a central place in speciation studies. Cline locations delimit taxon boundaries, cline widths scale with barrier strength, and the shapes of clines (smooth or stepped) suggest whether species barriers are mono- or polygenic. How cline shapes vary along chromosomes therefore forms part of the genome's species barrier landscape. Further, asymmetric moving clines (wave fronts) can mark adaptive introgression puncturing species barriers, potentially leading to their collapse or decay. Here we review the development of cline and wavefront models and relate this to the use of dispersal kernels in epidemiology and ecology. We contrast classical results to those for a thick-tailed kernel, showing how cline shape affects the speed of spatial processes, including the widening of neu

SUBMITTER: Baird SJE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12617073 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature