The Utility of Fisher's Geometric Model in Evolutionary Genetics

The accumulation of data on the genomic bases of adaptation has triggered renewed interest in theoretical models of adaptation. Among these models, Fisher's geometric model (FGM) has received a lot of attention over the past two decades. FGM is based on a continuous multidimensional phenotypic landscape, but it is mostly used for the emerging properties of individual mutation effects. Despite its apparent simplicity and limited number of parameters, FGM integrates a full model of mutation and epistatic interactions that allows the study of both beneficial and deleterious mutations and, subsequently, the fate of evolving populations. In this review, I present the different properties of FGM and the qualitative and quantitative support they have received from experimental evolution data. I then discuss how to estimate the different parameters of the model and outline some future directions to connect FGM and the molecular determinants of adaptation.