1055.Full.Pdf
Copyright 1999 by the Genetics Society of America Evolution of Genetic Variability and the Advantage of Sex and Recombination in Changing Environments Reinhard BuÈrger Institut fuÈr Mathematik, UniversitaÈt Wien, A-1090 Wien, Austria and International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis, A-2361 Laxenburg, Austria Manuscript received February 22, 1999 Accepted for publication May 12, 1999 ABSTRACT The role of recombination and sexual reproduction in enhancing adaptation and population persistence in temporally varying environments is investigated on the basis of a quantitative-genetic multilocus model. Populations are ®nite, subject to density-dependent regulation with a ®nite growth rate, diploid, and either asexual or randomly mating and sexual with or without recombination. A quantitative trait is determined by a ®nite number of loci at which mutation generates genetic variability. The trait is under stabilizing selection with an optimum that either changes at a constant rate in one direction, exhibits periodic cycling, or ¯uctuates randomly. It is shown by Monte Carlo simulations that if the directional- selection component prevails, then freely recombining populations gain a substantial evolutionary advan- tage over nonrecombining and asexual populations that goes far beyond that recognized in previous studies. The reason is that in such populations, the genetic variance can increase substantially and thus enhance the rate of adaptation. In nonrecombining and asexual populations, no or much less increase of variance occurs. It is explored by simulation and mathematical analysis when, why, and by how much genetic variance increases in response to environmental change. In particular, it is elucidated how this change in genetic variance depends on the reproductive system, the population size, and the selective regime, and what the consequences for population persistence are.
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