Functional trait divergence and trait plasticity confer polyploid advantage in heterogeneous environments

What is it about?

Whole-genome duplication is a hallmark of flowering plant evolution, with both ancient and recent polyploidy events documented across angiosperm lineages. The adaptive importance of polyploidy to environmental change is often implicated but rarely tested. Here we grew diploid and polyploid perennials together in cool coastal, temperate valley and arid montane regions. We show that polyploids have higher fitness than diploids across these heterogeneous environments. The fitness of both polyploids and diploids can be linked to functional trait means and plasticities. Polyploids, however, benefit from functional trait divergence from diploids and stronger adaptive effects of trait plasticity. Our study elucidates essential ecological mechanisms underlying polyploid success.

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