Genetic Dynamics of Domestication and Introgression
Summary
Domestication and introgression represent two interlinked genetic processes that have shaped the diversity and adaptability of many cultivated species. Domestication is the long-term co-evolutionary process through which wild populations become adapted to human-managed environments, involving strong selection on traits such as seed size, architecture and phenology. Introgression, the incorporation of genetic material from one population or species into another via hybridisation and backcrossing, can both reinforce and counteract the effects of domestication. While adaptive introgression may introduce beneficial alleles that enhance stress tolerance, quality traits or yield, it may also carry deleterious variants that increase genetic load. Recent advances in high-throughput sequencing and population-genomic analyses have illuminated the temporal and spatial dynamics of these processes, revealing protracted domestication trajectories, geographic patterns of gene flow and the balance between selection, drift and recombination in shaping crop genomes.
Research from Nature Portfolio
No recent Nature Portfolio content available.
Genetic Dynamics of Domestication and Introgression publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in genetic dynamics of domestication and introgression across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Domestication: The process by which wild species are adapted to human use through sustained selection on phenotypic traits.
Introgression: The transfer of genetic material between populations or species via hybridisation and repeated backcrossing.
Genetic load: The accumulation of deleterious alleles in a population’s gene pool, which can reduce average fitness.
Soft-selective sweep: A form of selection acting on pre-existing genetic variation in which multiple beneficial alleles rise in frequency without completely eradicating surrounding diversity.
References
- Adaptive and maladaptive introgression in grapevine domestication. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (2023).
- Patterns of the Predicted Mutation Burden in 19,778 Domesticated Barley Accessions Conserved Ex Situ. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2024).
About these summaries
This Nature Research Intelligence Topic summary is created with the cited references and a large language model. We take care to ground generated text with facts, and have systems in place to gain human feedback on the overall quality of the process in line with our AI principles. We strive to create accurate and useful summaries for people unfamiliar with the research topic and that supports this goal. These pages are a beta release and will be updated as we learn how best to help people gain value from a research topic summary.
Turn complex research questions into confident strategic decisions
When you're under pressure to set direction, justify investment, or understand your competitive position, you need more than raw data — you need trusted insights you can act on.
Benchmark your performance against global peers using robust, methodologically sound analysis.
Combine quantitative metrics with qualitative expert insight to uncover strengths, gaps and emerging opportunities.
Gain tailored, decision-ready recommendations aligned to your strategic priorities.
Talk to us to learn more about our data dashboards and bespoke strategy reports.
Grow research skills, confidence and careers with training built for every stage of the research lifecycle.
Developed with Nature Portfolio journal Editors and internationally renowned experts. Discover three ways to learn:
Self-paced, online courses in convenient bite-sized units, covering key skills across scientific writing, publishing, grant writing, data analysis, and more.
Expert trainer-led workshops with hands-on exercises and real-time feedback across core research skills, delivered via interactive group sessions.
Editor-led workshops combining core principles in writing and publishing, personalised 1:1 feedback from Nature Portfolio Editors and hands-on exercises.
Explore course catalogues and workshop agendas, enquire about the options or request institutional pricing.