Rapid adaptation and extinction in synchronized outdoor evolution experiments of Arabidopsis - PubMed
5 hours ago
- #evolution experiments
- #climate adaptation
- #Arabidopsis
- Researchers conducted synchronized evolution experiments with Arabidopsis thaliana across 30 locations to observe rapid adaptation and extinction due to climate change.
- Whole-genome sequencing of around 70,000 plants showed repeatable allele frequency shifts in similar climates, indicating evolutionary adaptation, with divergent shifts in contrasting climates.
- Identified genetic variants linked to climate adaptation involve genes for processes like thermal-stress sensing and spring-flowering timing.
- Evolutionary trends were often predictable but varied across environments; in warmer climates, predictability correlated with population survival over five years, while erratic changes preceded extinction.