loading page

Admixture affects the rate and repeatability of experimental adaptation to a stressful environment in Callosobruchus maculatus
  • Amy Springer,
  • Brian Kissmer,
  • Zachariah Gompert
Amy Springer
Utah State University
Author Profile
Brian Kissmer
Utah State University
Author Profile
Zachariah Gompert
Utah State University

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

Author Profile

Abstract

Admixture is common in nature, and can serve as a crucial source of adaptive potential through the generation of novel genotype combinations and phenotypes. Conversely, the presence of hybrid incompatibilities can decrease the fitness of hybrids. Due to the pervasiveness of admixture in nature and its potential role in facilitating adaptation, understanding how admixture affects the rate and repeatability of evolution is important for furthering our understanding of evolutionary dynamics. However, few studies have assessed how patterns of evolutionary parallelism in admixed lineages are affected by the presence of strong ecological pressure. In this experiment, we assessed patterns of evolution and parallelism across admixed and non-admixed cowpea seed beetles (Callosobruchus maculatus) during adaptation to a novel, stressful host: lentil. Specifically, we asked (1) whether admixture facilitates adaptation to lentil, (2) whether parallelism was higher in admixed or non-admixed lineages, and (3) to what degree parallelism in admixed lineages was associated with selection on globally adaptive alleles versus epistatic effects and hybrid incompatibilities. We found that admixture facilitated adaptation to lentil, and evolutionary rescue–defined as adaptation that prevents population extinction–occurred in all lineages. The degree of evolutionary parallelism was highest in two admixed lineages, but notable in all lineages. Adaptation to lentil appeared to be driven by selection on alleles that were globally adaptive. However, even during evolutionary rescue in a marginal environment, the purging of hybrid incompatibilities appeared to contribute substantially to evolutionary parallelism in admixed lineages.