Antagonistic pleiotropy can promote adaptation to patchy environments*

How do gene variants with opposing effects on fitness in juvenile and adult insects perform in different ecological settings? Marden et al. used alleles of two antagonistic genes involved in metabolism and oxygen sensing in the Glanville fritillary butterfly as a model to demonstrate how these genes can antagonistically affect larval development and the adaptation of adults to different landscapes. This paper provides a case study for understanding how antagonistic pleiotropy can contribute to species adaption in patchy environments.

Automated summary

The study by Marden et al. investigates how gene variants with opposing effects on fitness in juvenile and adult insects perform in different ecological settings, using alleles of antagonistic genes in the Glanville fritillary butterfly as a model. The research highlights how antagonistic pleiotropy can contribute to species adaptation in patchy environments.