Contemporary gene flow and mating system of Arabis alpina in a Central European alpine landscape

Buehler, Dominique; Graf, René; Holderegger, Rolf; Gugerli, Félix

doi:10.1093/aob/mcs066

Cited by 46 publications

(65 citation statements)

References 61 publications

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“…Whereas most studies emphasize adaptation across large spatial scales, we show that differentiation can occur between neighbouring populations with limited isolation by distance and possibly extensive gene flow (e.g. Alberto et al ., ; Buehler et al ., ). General support for adaptation was found in terms of plant survival but not for reproductive output (contrary to Hereford, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Trait differentiation and adaptation of plants along elevation gradients

Halbritter

Fior

Keller

et al. 2018

J of Evolutionary Biology

151

142

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Studies of genetic adaptation in plant populations along elevation gradients in mountains have a long history, but there has until now been neither a synthesis of how frequently plant populations exhibit adaptation to elevation nor an evaluation of how consistent underlying trait differences across species are. We reviewed studies of adaptation along elevation gradients (i) from a meta-analysis of phenotypic differentiation of three traits (height, biomass and phenology) from plants growing in 70 common garden experiments; (ii) by testing elevation adaptation using three fitness proxies (survival, reproductive output and biomass) from 14 reciprocal transplant experiments; (iii) by qualitatively assessing information at the molecular level, from 10 genomewide surveys and candidate gene approaches. We found that plants originating from high elevations were generally shorter and produced less biomass, but phenology did not vary consistently. We found significant evidence for elevation adaptation in terms of survival and biomass, but not for reproductive output. Variation in phenotypic and fitness responses to elevation across species was not related to life history traits or to environmental conditions. Molecular studies, which have focussed mainly on loci related to plant physiology and phenology, also provide evidence for adaptation along elevation gradients. Together, these studies indicate that genetically based trait differentiation and adaptation to elevation are widespread in plants. We conclude that a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying adaptation, not only to elevation but also to environmental change, will require more studies combining the ecological and molecular approaches.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Trait differentiation and adaptation of plants along elevation gradients

Halbritter

Fior

Keller

et al. 2018

J of Evolutionary Biology

151

142

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…; Buehler et al. ), so that a particular allele may rapidly spread once established and hence mask adaptive patterns. In order to confirm such a hypothesis of local adaptation, more locations on a small spatial scale would have to be sampled in the original study areas in the Swiss as well as the French Alps (Buehler et al.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Within each location, we searched for A. alpina occurrences in each of the three distinct habitat types, situated at 0.14-3.3 km distance. Buehler et al (2012) showed that median pollen dispersal in A. alpina is about 20 m, but that exceptional long-distance dispersal of pollen up to 1 km is possible. The spatial separation of sampled habitat types within a location should therefore only allow for rare gene flow by pollen.…”

Section: Sampling Design Of the Independent Validation Data Setmentioning

confidence: 99%

Validation of outlier loci through replication in independent data sets: a test on Arabis alpina

Buehler

Holderegger

Brodbeck

et al. 2014

Ecology and Evolution

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Outlier detection and environmental association analysis are common methods to search for loci or genomic regions exhibiting signals of adaptation to environmental factors. However, a validation of outlier loci and corresponding allele distribution models through functional molecular biology or transplant/common garden experiments is rarely carried out. Here, we employ another method for validation, namely testing outlier loci in specifically designed, independent data sets. Previously, an outlier locus associated with three different habitat types had been detected in Arabis alpina. For the independent validation data set, we sampled 30 populations occurring in these three habitat types across five biogeographic regions of the Swiss Alps. The allele distribution model found in the original study could not be validated in the independent test data set: The outlier locus was no longer indicative of habitat-mediated selection. We propose several potential causes of this failure of validation, of which unaccounted genetic structure and technical issues in the original data set used to detect the outlier locus were most probable. Thus, our study shows that validating outlier loci and allele distribution models in independent data sets is a helpful tool in ecological genomics which, in the case of positive validation, adds confidence to outlier loci and their association with environmental factors or, in the case of failure of validation, helps to explain inconsistencies.

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“…The generally extreme nature of alpine environments has in some cases selected for alpine specialization, and speciation itself may be accelerated in alpine habitats [33], [41]–[44]. The ecological differences between lowland and alpine environments can affect patterns of dispersal, rates of population divergence, and speciation [41], [45]–[47]. The isolation of mountain tops amongst intervening temperate environments can reinforce this differentiation through restricted gene flow [45]–[49].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Natural Selection and Neutral Evolution Jointly Drive Population Divergence between Alpine and Lowland Ecotypes of the Allopolyploid Plant Anemone multifida (Ranunculaceae)

2013

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Population differentiation can be driven in large part by natural selection, but selectively neutral evolution can play a prominent role in shaping patters of population divergence. The decomposition of the evolutionary history of populations into the relative effects of natural selection and selectively neutral evolution enables an understanding of the causes of population divergence and adaptation. In this study, we examined heterogeneous genomic divergence between alpine and lowland ecotypes of the allopolyploid plant, Anemone multifida. Using peak height and dominant AFLP data, we quantified population differentiation at non-outlier (neutral) and outlier loci to determine the potential contribution of natural selection and selectively neutral evolution to population divergence. We found 13 candidate loci, corresponding to 2.7% of loci, with signatures of divergent natural selection between alpine and lowland populations and between alpine populations (Fst = 0.074–0.445 at outlier loci), but neutral population differentiation was also evident between alpine populations (FST = 0.041–0.095 at neutral loci). By examining population structure at both neutral and outlier loci, we determined that the combined effects of selection and neutral evolution are associated with the divergence of alpine populations, which may be linked to extreme abiotic conditions and isolation between alpine sites. The presence of outlier levels of genetic variation in structured populations underscores the importance of separately analyzing neutral and outlier loci to infer the relative role of divergent natural selection and neutral evolution in population divergence.

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Contemporary gene flow and mating system of Arabis alpina in a Central European alpine landscape

Cited by 46 publications

References 61 publications

Trait differentiation and adaptation of plants along elevation gradients

Trait differentiation and adaptation of plants along elevation gradients

Validation of outlier loci through replication in independent data sets: a test on Arabis alpina

Natural Selection and Neutral Evolution Jointly Drive Population Divergence between Alpine and Lowland Ecotypes of the Allopolyploid Plant Anemone multifida (Ranunculaceae)

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