Evolutionary Dynamics of Ploidy and Genetic Selection
Summary
Variation in the number of chromosome sets—ploidy—has profound consequences for organismal evolution. Shifts between haploid, diploid and higher-order polyploid states influence gene dosage, the exposure or masking of alleles and thus the efficacy of natural selection. In haploid phases, all mutations are immediately subject to selection, whereas in diploids recessive alleles may be hidden in heterozygotes. This interplay underpins the masking theory, which predicts more efficient purifying selection on haploid-expressed genes. Across fungi, plants and animals, ploidy transitions can be driven by environmental stress, life-history strategies and mating systems, with direct impact on adaptation rates, genetic load and population resilience. Recent advances combine experimental evolution, high-throughput genomics and theoretical modelling to unravel the mechanisms by which ploidy dynamics shape evolutionary trajectories. Insights from this research inform crop improvement, conservation genetics and the management of pathogen resistance.
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Evolutionary Dynamics of Ploidy and Genetic Selection publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in evolutionary dynamics of ploidy and genetic selection across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Ploidy: Number of complete sets of chromosomes in a cell.
Haploid: Single chromosome set, exposing all alleles to selection.
Diploid: Two homologous chromosome sets, allowing recessive alleles to be masked.
Purifying selection: Removal of deleterious alleles from a population.
Masking theory: Concept that recessive mutations are hidden in heterozygotes, reducing selection efficacy in diploids.
Ka/Ks ratio: Ratio of nonsynonymous to synonymous substitution rates, used to infer selective pressures on protein-coding genes.
References
- Ploidy evolution in a wild yeast is linked to an interaction between cell type and metabolism. PLOS Biology (2023).
- Strong Purifying Selection in Haploid Tissue–Specific Genes of Scots Pine Supports the Masking Theory. Molecular Biology and Evolution (2023).
- The Ka /Ks and πa /πs Ratios under Different Models of Gametophytic and Sporophytic Selection. Genome Biology and Evolution (2023).
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