The genomic basis of adaptation in plants

- The genomics of adaptation in plants is entering a period of accelerated discovery.
- The sessile nature of plants makes them powerful models for studying adaptation.
- Modes of adaptation are diverse, including hard and soft sweeps and adaptive introgression.
- Combining population genomics and quantitative genetics is a worthwhile approach.

Plants are powerful models for the study of adaptive evolution. Since they are rooted in place, they must directly face environmental insults, making adaptation to local conditions vital. In addition to adaptation to natural conditions, some plant species have held a central role in human subsistence over the past several thousand years. In these species, humans exerted strong selective pressures on traits of agricultural importance. Recently, an increasing number of studies have aimed to identify the genomic basis of adaptation. These studies have provided insights into the mechanisms through which the raw materials of adaptation were introduced as well as the modes of adaptation in wild and domesticated species.