Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dzt6s Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T16:42:13.019Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Fluctuating environments and the role of mutation in maintaining quantitative genetic variation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 September 2002

REINHARD BÜRGER  and
ALEXANDER GIMELFARB
REINHARD BÜRGER
Affiliation:
Department of Mathematics, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
ALEXANDER GIMELFARB
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA Current address: Department of Genetics, Stanford University, 300 Pasteur Drive, Stanford, California 94305, USA
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

We study a class of genetic models in which a quantitative trait determined by several additive loci is subject to temporally fluctuating selection. Selection on the trait is assumed to be stabilizing but with an optimum that varies periodically and might be perturbed stochastically. The population mates at random, is infinitely large and has discrete generations. We pursue a statistical and numerical approach, covering a wide range of ecological and genetic parameters, to determine the potential of fluctuating environments to maintain quantitative genetic variation. Whereas, in contrast to some recent claims, this potential seems to be rather limited in the absence of recurrent mutation, fluctuating environments might, in combination with it, often generate high levels of additive genetic variation. We investigate how the genetic variation maintained depends on the ecological parameters and on the underlying genetics.

Type
Research Article
Information
Genetics Research , Volume 80 , Issue 1 , August 2002 , pp. 31 - 46
Copyright
© 2002 Cambridge University Press