Concepedia

Concept

local adaptation

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420

Publications

37.3K

Citations

1.6K

Authors

655

Institutions

About

Local adaptation is an evolutionary process whereby populations develop traits that enhance their survival and reproduction (fitness) in their specific local environment relative to individuals originating from other environments, driven by natural selection acting differentially across heterogeneous landscapes. It constitutes a central concept and active research area within evolutionary ecology and population genetics, investigating the genetic mechanisms, ecological factors, and evolutionary trajectories leading to population divergence and optimized performance under specific local conditions. Hallmarks include genetic differentiation among populations, empirical evidence of selection favoring local genotypes, and often, reduced performance of non-local genotypes in a given environment. The study of local adaptation is critical for understanding biodiversity patterns, predicting species responses to environmental change, and guiding effective conservation and management strategies.

Top Authors

Rankings shown are based on concept H-Index.

DB

Michigan State University

KJ

University of California, Davis

SG

Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique

AB

University of Exeter

JH

Duke University

Top Institutions

Rankings shown are based on concept H-Index.

Uppsala University

Uppsala, Sweden

ETH Zurich

Zurich, Switzerland

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