Authors
Mitra Menon, Justin C Bagley, Gerald FM Page, Amy V Whipple, Anna W Schoettle, Christopher J Still, Christian Wehenkel, Kristen M Waring, Lluvia Flores-Renteria, Samuel A Cushman, Andrew J Eckert
Publication date
2021/2/5
Journal
Communications biology
Volume
4
Issue
1
Pages
160
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group UK
Description
Extant conifer species may be susceptible to rapid environmental change owing to their long generation times, but could also be resilient due to high levels of standing genetic diversity. Hybridisation between closely related species can increase genetic diversity and generate novel allelic combinations capable of fuelling adaptive evolution. Our study unravelled the genetic architecture of adaptive evolution in a conifer hybrid zone formed between Pinus strobiformis and P. flexilis. Using a multifaceted approach emphasising the spatial and environmental patterns of linkage disequilibrium and ancestry enrichment, we identified recently introgressed and background genetic variants to be driving adaptive evolution along different environmental gradients. Specifically, recently introgressed variants from P. flexilis were favoured along freeze-related environmental gradients, while background variants were favoured …
Total citations
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