Hybrid introgression as a mechanism of rapid evolution and resilience to climate change in a riparian tree species
Abstract Determining whether organisms can undergo adaptive evolution at a pace commensurate with contemporary climate change is critical to understanding and predicting the consequences of such change. Hybrid introgression is a mechanism of rapid evolution by which species may adapt to climatic shi...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Communications Biology |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-08410-3 |
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| author | Ashlynn M. Hord Dylan G. Fischer Jennifer A. Schweitzer Carri J. LeRoy Thomas G. Whitham Joseph K. Bailey |
| author_facet | Ashlynn M. Hord Dylan G. Fischer Jennifer A. Schweitzer Carri J. LeRoy Thomas G. Whitham Joseph K. Bailey |
| author_sort | Ashlynn M. Hord |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Determining whether organisms can undergo adaptive evolution at a pace commensurate with contemporary climate change is critical to understanding and predicting the consequences of such change. Hybrid introgression is a mechanism of rapid evolution by which species may adapt to climatic shifts. Here, we examine variation in growth and survival in a long-term common garden experiment with a foundation tree species to determine if introgression is enhancing climate change resilience. Two naturally hybridizing tree species, low elevation Populus fremontii and high elevation Populus angustifolia, and hybrid and backcross genotypes were planted in a low elevation, warm common garden. We show that P. angustifolia and backcross trees are vulnerable to warming, and their survival is related to climate and transfer distance (proxies for climate change). Increased odds of survival are associated with genetic introgression, as indicated by RFLP genetic markers. Thus, for these long-lived foundation trees, hybrid introgression is associated with increased resistance to selection pressures in warmer, drier climates. These data highlight the importance of evolutionary patterns and processes in shaping ecosystem responses to climate change. If adaptive introgression through hybrid zones is common, hybrid-specific conservation policies and restoration should be reconsidered in the context of global change. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-0dbcef66c9c84735a8475f41b55dc48c |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2399-3642 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Biology |
| spelling | doaj-art-0dbcef66c9c84735a8475f41b55dc48c2025-08-20T04:02:55ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Biology2399-36422025-08-01811810.1038/s42003-025-08410-3Hybrid introgression as a mechanism of rapid evolution and resilience to climate change in a riparian tree speciesAshlynn M. Hord0Dylan G. Fischer1Jennifer A. Schweitzer2Carri J. LeRoy3Thomas G. Whitham4Joseph K. Bailey5Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of TennesseeEnvironmental Studies, The Evergreen State CollegeDepartment of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of TennesseeEnvironmental Studies, The Evergreen State CollegeDepartment of Biological Science, Northern Arizona UniversityDepartment of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of TennesseeAbstract Determining whether organisms can undergo adaptive evolution at a pace commensurate with contemporary climate change is critical to understanding and predicting the consequences of such change. Hybrid introgression is a mechanism of rapid evolution by which species may adapt to climatic shifts. Here, we examine variation in growth and survival in a long-term common garden experiment with a foundation tree species to determine if introgression is enhancing climate change resilience. Two naturally hybridizing tree species, low elevation Populus fremontii and high elevation Populus angustifolia, and hybrid and backcross genotypes were planted in a low elevation, warm common garden. We show that P. angustifolia and backcross trees are vulnerable to warming, and their survival is related to climate and transfer distance (proxies for climate change). Increased odds of survival are associated with genetic introgression, as indicated by RFLP genetic markers. Thus, for these long-lived foundation trees, hybrid introgression is associated with increased resistance to selection pressures in warmer, drier climates. These data highlight the importance of evolutionary patterns and processes in shaping ecosystem responses to climate change. If adaptive introgression through hybrid zones is common, hybrid-specific conservation policies and restoration should be reconsidered in the context of global change.https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-08410-3 |
| spellingShingle | Ashlynn M. Hord Dylan G. Fischer Jennifer A. Schweitzer Carri J. LeRoy Thomas G. Whitham Joseph K. Bailey Hybrid introgression as a mechanism of rapid evolution and resilience to climate change in a riparian tree species Communications Biology |
| title | Hybrid introgression as a mechanism of rapid evolution and resilience to climate change in a riparian tree species |
| title_full | Hybrid introgression as a mechanism of rapid evolution and resilience to climate change in a riparian tree species |
| title_fullStr | Hybrid introgression as a mechanism of rapid evolution and resilience to climate change in a riparian tree species |
| title_full_unstemmed | Hybrid introgression as a mechanism of rapid evolution and resilience to climate change in a riparian tree species |
| title_short | Hybrid introgression as a mechanism of rapid evolution and resilience to climate change in a riparian tree species |
| title_sort | hybrid introgression as a mechanism of rapid evolution and resilience to climate change in a riparian tree species |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-08410-3 |
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