Geographical variation in song dialect may reflect acoustic adaptation to different environments and / or serve as a
signal of local adaptation.
The Yoder Lab, part of the Department of Biology at California State University Northridge, studies coevolution and the population
genomics of local adaptation, particularly in mutualisms.
«We found that the
evolution of local adaptation to climate in purple loosestrife increased reproduction as much as or more than escaping natural enemies.
«This is the most unique
scenario of local adaptation that I had the pleasure of helping uncover,» says Alon Keinan, a population geneticist who led the evolutionary study.
A major consequence of such interspecific hybridization may be outbreeding depression due to the break - up of co-adapted gene complexes and
disruption of local adaptations (Barton & Hewitt 1989).
Excellent genomic resources for M. truncatula have allowed identification of genes that important for the symbiosis, and some of these genes show
signs of local adaptation to different populations of rhizobia.
If done thoughtfully and always with a focus on improving student learning, these
types of local adaptations can help us learn a lot about different options for improving instruction and allowing different persons to use their skills in the best ways.
Mountain chickadees from different elevations sing different songs: acoustic adaptation, temporal drift or
signal of local adaptation?