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374 results for “Selection: natural”
Data from: Clonality, genetic diversity, and support for the diversifying selection hypothesis, in natural populations of a flower-living yeast
Vast amounts of effort have been devoted to investigate patterns of genetic diversity and structuring in plants and animals, but similar information is scarce for organisms of other kingdoms. The study of the genetic structure of natural populations of wild yeasts can provide insights on the ecological and genetic correlates of clonality, and on the generality of recent hypotheses postulating that microbial populations lack the potential for genetic divergence and allopatric speciation. Ninety-one isolates of the flower-living yeast Metschnikowia gruessii from southeastern Spain were DNA fingerprinted using AFLP markers. Genetic diversity and structuring was investigated with band-based methods and model- and nonmodel-based clustering. Linkage disequilibrium tests were used to assess reproduction mode. Microsite-dependent, diversifying selection was tested by comparing genetic characteristics of isolates from bumble bee vectors and different floral microsites. AFLP polymorphism (91%) and genotypic diversity were very high. Genetic diversity was spatially structured, as shown by AMOVA (Φst = 0.155) and clustering. The null hypothesis of random mating was rejected, clonality seeming the prevailing reproductive mode in the populations studied. Genetic diversity of isolates declined from bumble bee mouthparths to floral microsites, and frequency of five AFLP markers varied significantly across floral microsites, thus supporting the hypothesis of diversifying selection on clonal lineages. Wild populations of clonal fungal microbes can exhibit levels of genetic diversity and spatial structuring that are not singularly different from those shown by sexually reproducing plants or animals. Microsite-dependent, divergent selection can maintain high local and regional genetic diversity in microbial populations despite extensive clonality.
Data from: Genomic signatures of parasite-driven natural selection in north European Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)
Understanding the genomic basis of host-parasite adaptation is important for predicting the long-term viability of species and developing successful management practices. However, in wild populations, identifying specific signatures of parasite-driven selection often presents a challenge, as it is difficult to unravel the molecular signatures of selection driven by different, but correlated, environmental factors. Furthermore, separating parasite-mediated selection from similar signatures due to genetic drift and population history can also be difficult. Populations of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) from northern Europe have pronounced differences in their reactions to the parasitic flatworm Gyrodactylus salaris Malmberg 1957 and are therefore a good model to search for specific genomic regions underlying inter-population differences in pathogen response. We used a dense Atlantic salmon SNP array, along with extensive sampling of 43 salmon populations representing the two G. salaris response extremes (extreme susceptibility vs resistant), to screen the salmon genome for signatures of directional selection while attempting to separate the parasite effect from other factors. After combining the results from two independent genome scan analyses, 57 candidate genes potentially under positive selection were identified, out of which 50 were functionally annotated. This candidate gene set was shown to be functionally enriched for lymph node development, focal adhesion genes and anti-viral response, which suggests that the regulation of both innate and acquired immunity might be an important mechanism for salmon response to G. salaris. Overall, our results offer insights into the apparently complex genetic basis of pathogen susceptibility in salmon and highlight methodological challenges for separating the effects of various environmental factors
Data from: Signatures of selection for bonamiosis resistance in European flat oyster (Ostrea edulis): new genomic tools for breeding programs and management of natural resources
The European flat oyster (Ostrea edulis) is a highly appreciated mollusk with an important aquaculture production throughout the 20th century, in addition to playing an important role on coastal ecosystems. Overexploitation of natural beds, habitat degradation, introduction of non-native species and epidemic outbreaks have severely affected this important resource, particularly, the protozoan parasite Bonamia ostreae, which is the main concern affecting its production and conservation. In order to identify genomic regions and markers potentially associated with bonamiosis resistance, six oyster beds distributed throughout the European Atlantic coast were sampled. Three of them have been exposed to this parasite since the early 1980's and showed some degree of innate resistance (long-term affected group, LTA), while the other three were free of B. ostreae at least until sampling date (naïve group, NV). A total of 14,065 SNPs were analyzed, including 37 markers from candidate genes and 14,028 from a medium density SNP array. Gene diversity was similar between LTA and NV groups suggesting no genetic erosion due to long term exposure to the parasite, and three population clusters were detected using the whole dataset. Tests for divergent selection between NV and LTA groups detected the presence of a very consistent set of 22 markers, located within a putative single genomic region, which suggests the presence of a major quantitative trait locus associated with B. ostreae resistance. Moreover, 324 outlier loci associated with factors other than bonamiosis were identified allowing fully discrimination of all the oyster beds. A practical tool which included the 84 highest discriminative markers for tracing O. edulis populations was developed and tested with empirical data. Results reported herein could assist the production of stocks with improved resistance to bonamiosis, and facilitate the management of oyster beds for recovery production and ecosystem services provided by this species.
Data from: Induced defences alter the strength and direction of natural selection on reproductive traits in common milkweed
Evolutionary biologists have long sought to understand the ecological processes that generate plant reproductive diversity. Recent evidence indicates that constitutive antiherbivore defences can alter natural selection on reproductive traits, but it is unclear whether induced defences will have the same effect and whether reduced foliar damage in defended plants is the cause of this pattern. In a factorial field experiment using common milkweed, Asclepias syriaca L., we induced plant defences using jasmonic acid (JA) and imposed foliar damage using scissors. We found that JA-induced plants experienced selection for more inflorescences that were smaller in size (fewer flowers), whereas control plants only experienced a trend towards selection for larger inflorescences (more flowers); all effects were independent of foliar damage. Our results demonstrate that induced defences can alter both the strength and direction of selection on reproductive traits, and suggest that antiherbivore defences may promote the evolution of plant reproductive diversity.
Data from: Detecting genomic signatures of natural selection with principal component analysis: application to the 1000 Genomes data
To characterize natural selection, various analytical methods for detecting candidate genomic regions have been developed. We propose to perform genome-wide scans of natural selection using principal component analysis (PCA). We show that the common FST index of genetic differentiation between populations can be viewed as the proportion of variance explained by the principal components. Considering the correlations between genetic variants and each principal component provides a conceptual framework to detect genetic variants involved in local adaptation without any prior definition of populations. To validate the PCA-based approach, we consider the 1000 Genomes data (phase 1) considering 850 individuals coming from Africa, Asia, and Europe. The number of genetic variants is of the order of 36 millions obtained with a low-coverage sequencing depth (3×). The correlations between genetic variation and each principal component provide well-known targets for positive selection (EDAR, SLC24A5, SLC45A2, DARC), and also new candidate genes (APPBPP2, TP1A1, RTTN, KCNMA, MYO5C) and noncoding RNAs. In addition to identifying genes involved in biological adaptation, we identify two biological pathways involved in polygenic adaptation that are related to the innate immune system (beta defensins) and to lipid metabolism (fatty acid omega oxidation). An additional analysis of European data shows that a genome scan based on PCA retrieves classical examples of local adaptation even when there are no well-defined populations. PCA-based statistics, implemented in the PCAdapt R package and the PCAdapt fast open-source software, retrieve well-known signals of human adaptation, which is encouraging for future whole-genome sequencing project, especially when defining populations is difficult.
Data from: Natural selection on thermal preference, critical thermal maxima and locomotor performance
Climate change is resulting in a radical transformation of the thermal quality of habitats across the globe. Whereas species have altered their distributions to cope with changing environments, the evidence for adaptation in response to rising temperatures is limited. However, to determine the potential of adaptation in response to thermal variation, we need estimates of the magnitude and direction of natural selection on traits that are assumed to increase persistence in warmer environments. Most inferences regarding physiological adaptation are based on interspecific analyses, and those of selection on thermal traits are scarce. Here, we estimate natural selection on major thermal traits used to assess the vulnerability of ectothermic organisms to altered thermal niches. We detected significant directional selection favouring lizards with higher thermal preferences and faster sprint performance at their optimal temperature. Our analyses also revealed correlational selection between thermal preference and critical thermal maxima, where individuals that preferred warmer body temperatures with cooler critical thermal maxima were favoured by selection. Recent published estimates of heritability for thermal traits suggest that, in concert with the strong selective pressures we demonstrate here, evolutionary adaptation may promote long-term persistence of ectotherms in altered thermal environments.
Data from: Temporal genetic stability in natural populations of the waterflea Daphnia magna in response to strong selection pressure
Studies monitoring changes in genetic diversity and composition through time allow a unique understanding of evolutionary dynamics and persistence of natural populations. However, such studies are often limited to species with short generation times that can be propagated in the laboratory or few exceptional cases in the wild. Species that produce dormant stages provide powerful models for the reconstruction of evolutionary dynamics in the natural environment. A remaining open question is to what extent dormant egg banks are an unbiased representation of populations and hence of the species' evolutionary potential, especially in presence of strong environmental selection. We address this key question using the water flea Daphnia magna, which produces dormant stages that accumulate in biological archives over time. We assess temporal genetic stability in three biological archives, previously used in resurrection ecology studies showing adaptive evolutionary responses to rapid environmental change. We show that neutral genetic diversity does not decline with the age of the population and it is maintained in presence of strong selection. In addition, by comparing temporal genetic stability in hatched and unhatched populations from the same biological archive, we show that dormant egg banks can be consulted to obtain a reliable measure of genetic diversity over time, at least in the multi-decadal time frame studied here. The stability of neutral genetic diversity through time is likely mediated by the buffering effect of the resting egg bank.
Data from: Invasive Bromus tectorum alters natural selection in arid systems
While much research has documented the impact of invaders on native communities and ecosystem services, there has been less work quantifying how invasion affects the genetic composition of native populations. That is, when invaders dominate a community, can they shift selection regimes and impact the evolutionary trajectory of native populations? The invasion of the annual grass Bromus tectorum in the Intermountain West provides an opportunity to quantify the effects of invasion on natural selection in wild populations. The shift from a perennial-dominated native community to one dominated by a highly competitive annual species alters the timing and intensity of competitive pressure, which has the potential to strongly shift selection regimes for native plants. To quantify traits under selection in contrasting environments, we planted seeds of two native perennial grasses, Elymus multisetus and Poa secunda, into three invaded, invaded but weeded and relatively uninvaded sagebrush systems. We quantified phenotypic traits of seedlings from separate maternal plants, describing differences in phenotypes among individuals. We then asked which traits were associated with survival and plant size in adjacent invaded and uninvaded sagebrush systems, following individual seed performance for 3 years. We found evidence for divergent selection between invaded and uninvaded sagebrush systems, with contrasting phenotypic traits associated with greater survival or plant size in these different growing conditions at all three field sites. For example, at one field site, P. secunda families with higher root tip production were more likely to survive in invaded and weeded environments, but this was not the case in uninvaded environments. Similarly, for E. multisetus, root mass fraction, seed mass and allocation to coarse or fine roots affected survival and plant size, again with contrasting relationships across invaded, weeded or uninvaded environments. Synthesis. Impacts of invasive species extend beyond ecosystem and community composition changes and can affect the evolutionary trajectory of native populations. By quantifying natural selection in invaded landscapes, we identified phenotypic traits that are potentially adaptive in these invaded systems. Importantly, these traits differed from traits associated with success in uninvaded communities. This insight into adaptive, contemporary evolution in native species can guide restoration and conservation efforts.
Data from: Pollen limitation and its influence on natural selection through seed set
Stronger pollen limitation should increase competition among plants, leading to stronger selection on traits important for pollen receipt. The few explicit tests of this hypothesis, however, have provided conflicting support. Using the arithmetic relationship between these two quantities, we show that increased pollen limitation will automatically result in stronger selection (all else equal) although other factors can alter selection independently of pollen limitation. We then test the hypothesis using two approaches. First, we analyze published studies containing information on both pollen limitation and selection. Second, we explore how natural selection measured in one Ontario population of Lobelia cardinalis over three years and two Michigan populations in one year relates to pollen limitation. For the Ontario population we also explore whether pollinator-mediated selection is related to pollen limitation. Consistent with the hypothesis, we find an overall positive relationship between selection strength and pollen limitation both among species and within L. cardinalis. Unexpectedly, this relationship holds even for vegetative traits among species, and was not found in L. cardinalis for pollinator-mediated selection on nearly all trait types.
Data from: Divergent natural selection promotes immigrant inviability at early and late stages of evolutionary divergence
Natural selection's role in speciation has been of fundamental importance since Darwin first outlined his theory. Recently, work has focused on understanding how selection drives trait divergence, and subsequently reproductive isolation. 'Immigrant inviability', a barrier that arises from selection against immigrants in their non-native environment, appears to be of particular importance. Although immigrant inviability is likely ubiquitous, we know relatively little about how selection acts on traits to drive immigrant inviability, and how important immigrant inviability is at early-versus-late stages of divergence. We present a study evaluating the role of predation in the evolution of immigrant inviability in recently-diverged population pairs and a well-established species pair of Brachyrhaphis fishes. We evaluate performance in a high-predation environment by assessing survival in the presence of a predator, and swimming endurance in a low-predation environment. We find strong signatures of local adaptation and immigrant inviability of roughly the same magnitude both early and late in divergence. We find remarkably conserved selection for burst-speed swimming (important in predator evasion), and selection for increased size in low-predation environments. Our results highlight the consistency with which selection acts during speciation, and suggest that similar factors might promote initial population differentiation and maintain differentiation at late stages of divergence.
Data from: Natural selection by pulsed predation: survival of the thickest
Selective predation can lead to natural selection in prey populations and may alleviate competition among surviving individuals. The processes of selection and competition can have substantial effects on prey population dynamics, but are rarely studied simultaneously. Moreover, field studies of predator-induced short-term selection pressures on prey populations are scarce. Here we report measurements of density dependence in body composition in a bivalve prey (edible cockle, Cerastoderma edule) during bouts of intense predation by an avian predator (red knot, Calidris canutus). We measured densities, patchiness, morphology, and body composition (shell and flesh mass) of cockles in a quasi-experimental setting, i.e. before and after predation in three similar plots of 1 ha each, two of which experienced predation, and one of which remained unvisited in the course of the short study period and served as a reference. An individual's shell and flesh mass declined with cockle density (negative density dependence). Before predation, cockles were patchily distributed. After predation, during which densities were reduced by 78% (from 232 m-2 to 50 m-2), the patchiness was substantially reduced, i.e. the spatial distribution was homogenized. Red knots selected juvenile cockles with an average length of 6.9 mm (SD 1.0). Cockles surviving predation had heavier shells than before predation (an increase of 21.5 percentage points), but similar flesh masses. By contrast, in the reference plot shell mass did not differ statistically between initial and final sampling occasions, while flesh mass was larger (an increase of 13.2 percentage points). In this field-study, we show that red knots imposed a strong selection pressure on cockles to grow fast with thick shells and little flesh mass, with selection gradients among the highest reported in the literature.
Data from: Nonconsumptive predator-driven mortality causes natural selection on prey
Predators frequently exert natural selection through differential consumption of their prey. However, predators may also cause prey mortality through nonconsumptive effects, which could cause selection if different prey phenotypes are differentially susceptible to this nonconsumptive mortality. Here we present an experimental test of this hypothesis, which reveals that nonconsumptive mortality imposed by predatory dragonflies causes selection on their damselfly prey favoring increased activity levels. These results are consistent with other studies of predator-driven selection, however, they reveal that consumption alone is not the only mechanism by which predators can exert selection on prey. Uncovering this mechanism also suggests that prey defensive traits may represent adaptations to not only avoid being consumed, but also for dealing with other sources of mortality caused by predators. Demonstrating selection through both consumptive and nonconsumptive predator mortality provides us with insight into the diverse effects of predators as an evolutionary force.
Data from: Consumer-resource interactions along urbanization gradients drive natural selection
<p>Urbanization is an important component of global change. Urbanization affects species interactions, but the evolutionary implications are rarely studied. We investigate the evolutionary consequences of a common pattern: the loss of high trophic-level species in urban areas. Using a gall-forming fly, Eurosta solidaginis, and its natural enemies that select for opposite gall sizes, we test for patterns of enemy loss, selection, and local adaptation along five urbanization gradients. Eurosta declined in urban areas, as did predation by birds, which preferentially consume gallmakers that induce large galls. These declines were linked to changes in habitat availability, namely reduced forest cover in urban areas. Conversely, a parasitoid which attacks gallmakers that induce small galls was unaffected by urbanization. Changes in patterns of attack by birds and parasitoids resulted in stronger directional selection, but loss of stabilizing selection in urban areas, a pattern which we suggest may be general. Despite divergent selective regimes, gall size did not very systematically with urbanization, suggesting but not conclusively demonstrating that environmental differences, gene flow, or drift, may have prevented the adaptive divergence of phenotypes. We argue that the evolutionary effects of urbanization will have predictable consequences for patterns of species interactions and natural selection.</p>
Data from: Sexual selection against natural hybrids may contribute to reinforcement in a house mouse hybrid zone
Sexual selection may hinder gene flow across contact zones when hybrid recognition signals are discriminated against. We tested this hypothesis in a unimodal hybrid zone between Mus musculus musculus and Mus musculus domesticus where a pattern of reinforcement was described and lower hybrid fitness documented. We presented mice from the border of the hybrid zone with a choice between opposite sex urine from the same subspecies versus hybrids sampled in different locations across the zone. While no preference was evidenced in domesticus mice, musculus males discriminated in favour of musculus signals and against hybrid signals. Remarkably, the pattern of hybrid unattractiveness did not vary across the hybrid zone. Moreover, allopatric populations tested in the same conditions did not discriminate against hybrid signals, indicating character displacement for signal perception or preference. Finally, habituation–discrimination tests assessing similarities between signals pointed out that hybrid signals differed from the parental ones. Overall, our results suggest that perception of hybrids as unattractive has evolved in border populations of musculus after the secondary contact with domesticus. We discuss the mechanisms involved in hybrid unattractiveness, and the potential impact of asymmetric sexual selection on the hybrid zone dynamics and gene flow between the two subspecies.
Data from: Energy expenditure and body size are targets of natural selection across a wide geographic range, in a terrestrial invertebrate
One of the central questions in evolutionary ecology is how different functional capacities impact fitness, and how it varies across populations. For instance, do phenotypic attributes influence fitness similarly across geographic gradients? Which traits (physiological, morphological, life history) are most likely to be targets of natural selection? Do particular combinations of traits maximize fitness? In a semi-natural experiment, we analyzed introduced populations of an invasive species, the garden snail (Cornu aspersum) in Chile, which show low levels of genetic differentiation in spite of the distance. Specifically, we addressed whether the magnitude, sign and form of selection in snail populations could explain the differentiation (or its absence) among populations. A common garden/reciprocal transplant experiment was performed in three populations (La Serena, Constitución and Valdivia) that span a 1300 km latitudinal gradient and differ markedly in climate (semiarid North to humid South). We then released ca. 450 individuals per population (two generations after field-captured snails) in replicated enclosures at the range extremes (La Serena and Valdivia). Morphological (size and shell darkness), physiological (standard metabolic rate and digestive efficiency) and life history (growth rate) traits were measured in all snails before the release. Survival was recorded monthly during one year. However, we only detected significant selection on body size (MB), residual standard metabolic rate (SMRR) and growth rate. Survival was significantly higher in snails from La Serena than in snails from Constitución and Valdivia, when raised at La Serena. However, at Valdivia survival was not different among source populations. Interestingly, we found negative correlational selection in MB and SMRR at La Serena whereas at Valdivia, we only found directional selection on growth rate and MB, and stabilizing selection on SMRR. These results suggest that selection on physiological traits related with energy allocation is pervasive, irrespective of climate and distance.
Data from: Genetic signatures of natural selection in response to air pollution in red spruce (Picea rubens, Pinaceae)
One of the most important drivers of local adaptation for forest trees is climate. Coupled to these patterns, however, are human-induced disturbances through habitat modification and pollution. The confounded effects of climate and disturbance have rarely been investigated with regard to selective pressure on forest trees. Here, we have developed and used a population genetic approach to search for signals of selection within a set of 36 candidate genes chosen for their putative effects on adaptation to climate and human-induced air pollution within five populations of red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.), distributed across its natural range and air pollution gradient in eastern North America. Specifically, we used FST outlier and environmental correlation analyses to highlight a set of seven single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that were overly correlated with climate and levels of sulphate pollution after correcting for the confounding effects of population history. Use of three age cohorts within each population allowed the effects of climate and pollution to be separated temporally, as climate-related SNPs (n = 7) showed the strongest signals in the oldest cohort, while pollution-related SNPs (n = 3) showed the strongest signals in the youngest cohorts. These results highlight the usefulness of population genetic scans for the identification of putatively nonneutral evolution within genomes of nonmodel forest tree species, but also highlight the need for the development and application of robust methodologies to deal with the inherent multivariate nature of the genetic and ecological data used in these types of analyses.
Data from: Genotype by sequencing identifies natural selection as a driver of intraspecific divergence in Atlantic populations of the high dispersal marine invertebrate, Macoma petalum
Mitochondrial DNA analyses indicate that the Bay of Fundy population of the intertidal tellinid bivalve Macoma petalum is genetically divergent from coastal populations in the Gulf of Maine and Nova Scotia. To further examine the evolutionary forces driving this genetic break, we performed double digest genotype by sequencing (GBS) to survey the nuclear genome for evidence of both neutral and selective processes shaping this pattern. The resulting reads were mapped to a partial transcriptome of its sister species, M. balthica, to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in protein-coding genes. Population assignment tests, principle components analyses, analysis of molecular variance, and outlier tests all support differentiation between the Bay of Fundy genotype and the genotypes of the Gulf of Maine, Gulf of St. Lawrence, and Nova Scotia. Although both neutral and non-neutral patterns of genetic subdivision were significant, genetic structure among the regions was nearly 20 times higher for loci putatively under selection, suggesting a strong role for natural selection as a driver of genetic diversity in this species. Genetic differences were the greatest between the Bay of Fundy and all other population samples, and some outlier proteins were involved in immunity-related processes. Our results suggest that in combination with limited gene flow across the mouth of the Bay of Fundy, local adaptation is an important driver of intraspecific genetic variation in this marine species with high dispersal potential.
Data from: Population genomic footprints of selection and associations with climate in natural populations of Arabidopsis halleri from the Alps
Natural genetic variation is essential for the adaptation of organisms to their local environment and to changing environmental conditions. Here we examine genome-wide patterns of nucleotide variation in natural populations of the outcrossing herb Arabidopsis halleri and associations with climatic variation among populations in the Alps. Using a pooled population sequencing (Pool-Seq) approach, we discovered more than two million SNPs in five natural populations and identified highly differentiated genomic regions and SNPs using FST–based analyses. We tested only the most strongly differentiated SNPs for associations with a non-redundant set of environmental factors using partial Mantel tests to identify topo-climatic factors that may underlie the observed footprints of selection. Possible functions of genes showing signatures of selection were identified by Gene Ontology analysis. We found 175 genes to be highly associated with one or more of the five tested topo-climatic factors. Of these, 23.4% had unknown functions. Genetic variation in four candidate genes was strongly associated with site water balance and solar radiation, and functional annotations were congruent with these environmental factors. Our results provide a genome-wide perspective on the distribution of adaptive genetic variation in natural plant populations from a highly diverse and heterogeneous alpine environment.
Data from: Natural selection and the genetic basis of osmoregulation in Heteromyid rodents as revealed by RNA-seq
One adaptation of ecological and evolutionary interest is the extraordinary ability of desert rodents to retain water during waste production. Much is known regarding the unique kidney physiology of kangaroo rats (Dipodomys spp.) and their ability to retain water during waste production, yet the genetic basis of these physiological adaptations is relatively unknown. Herein, we utilized RNA-seq data to conduct a comparative study to identify osmoregulatory genes expressed in Heteromyid rodents. We sequenced kidney tissue from two temperate desert species (Dipodomys spectabilis and Chaetodipus baileyi) from two separate subfamilies of the Heteromyidae and compared these transcriptomes to a tropical mesic species (Heteromys desmarestianus) from a third subfamily. The evolutionary history of these subfamilies provided a robust phylogenetic control that allowed us to separate shared evolutionary history from convergence. Using two methods to detect differential expression (DE), we identified 1,890 genes that showed consistent patterns of DE between the arid and mesic species. A three-species reciprocal BLAST analysis revealed 3,511 sets of putative orthologues that, upon comparison to known Mus musculus sequences, revealed 323 annotated and full length genic regions. Selection tests displayed evidence of positive selection (dn/ds >1) on 6 genes in the two desert species and remained significant for one of these genes after correction for multiple testing. Thus, our data suggest that both the coding sequence and expression of genes have been shaped by natural selection to provide the genetic architecture for efficient osmoregulation in desert-adapted Heteromyid rodents.
Microbial responses to stress cryptically alter natural selection on plants
<p><span>Microbial communities can rapidly respond to stress, meaning plants may encounter altered soil microbial communities in stressful environments. Stress may therefore affect plant natural selection not only directly, but also indirectly via changes to the microbial community. Because stress can cause lasting changes to microbial communities, microbes may also cause legacy effects on plant selection that persist even after the stress ceases.</span></p> <p><span>To explore microbial indirect and legacy effects, we grew plants in stressful (salt, herbicide, or herbivory) or non-stressful conditions with microbes that had experienced each of these environments in the previous generation.</span></p> <p><span>Microbial indirect effects generally counteracted the direct effects of stress on plant selection, thereby weakening the strength of stress as a selective agent. Microbial legacy effects altered plant selection in non-stressful environments, suggesting that stress-induced changes to microbes may continue to affect selection after stress is lifted. </span></p> <p><span>These results suggest that soil microbes may play a cryptic role in plant adaptation to stress, potentially reducing the strength of stress as a selective agent and altering the evolutionary trajectory of plant populations.</span></p>
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