ERC Starting Grant · 2019
Whole genome duplication – the gateway to adaptation?
Whole genome duplication (WGD, polyploidization) is arguably the most massive genome-wide mutation whose ubiquity across eukaryotes suggests an adaptive benefit, though no mechanism has been identified. Consequently, a large controversy dominates the field whether WGD represents net benefit or detriment to evolutionary success. I will test if WGD promotes adaptation in natural populations and address the underlying mechanism by estimating net fitness benefit of WGD vs. the role of post-WGD accumulation of adaptive variation. This question has not been satisfactorily addressed before because experimental studies of WGD were disconnected from field surveys and population genomics avoided…
From the public funding record at EU CORDIS. Describes the funded project, not the reviews below.