%0 Journal Article %1 Beaumont2009 %A Beaumont, Hubertus J E %A Gallie, Jenna %A Kost, Christian %A Ferguson, Gayle C %A Rainey, Paul B %D 2009 %J Nature %K theoretical-ecology %N November %P 90--94 %R 10.1038/nature08504 %T Experimental evolution of bet hedging %V 462 %X Bet hedging—stochastic switching between phenotypic states1–3 — is a canonical example of an evolutionary adaptationthat facilitates persistence in the face of fluctuating environmental conditions. Although bet hedging is found in organisms ranging frombacteria to humans4–10 viour is lacking11 , direct evidence for an adaptive origin of this beha- . Here we report the de novo evolution of bet hedging in experimental bacterial populations. Bacteria were sub- jected toanenvironment that continually favourednewphenotypic states. Initially, our regime drove the successive evolution of novel phenotypes by mutation and selection; however, in two (of 12) replicates this trend was broken by the evolution of bet-hedging genotypes that persisted because of rapid stochastic phenotype switching. Genome re-sequencing of one of these switching types revealedninemutations that distinguishedit fromtheancestor.The final mutation was both necessary and sufficient for rapid pheno- type switching; nonetheless, the evolution of bet hedging was con- tingent uponearliermutations that altered the relative fitness effect of the finalmutation.These findings capture the adaptive evolution of bet hedging in the simplest of organisms, and suggest that risk- spreading strategiesmay have beenamong the earliest evolutionary solutions to life in fluctuating environments.

@article{Beaumont2009, abstract = {Bet hedging—stochastic switching between phenotypic states1–3 — is a canonical example of an evolutionary adaptationthat facilitates persistence in the face of fluctuating environmental conditions. Although bet hedging is found in organisms ranging frombacteria to humans4–10 viour is lacking11 , direct evidence for an adaptive origin of this beha- . Here we report the de novo evolution of bet hedging in experimental bacterial populations. Bacteria were sub- jected toanenvironment that continually favourednewphenotypic states. Initially, our regime drove the successive evolution of novel phenotypes by mutation and selection; however, in two (of 12) replicates this trend was broken by the evolution of bet-hedging genotypes that persisted because of rapid stochastic phenotype switching. Genome re-sequencing of one of these switching types revealedninemutations that distinguishedit fromtheancestor.The final mutation was both necessary and sufficient for rapid pheno- type switching; nonetheless, the evolution of bet hedging was con- tingent uponearliermutations that altered the relative fitness effect of the finalmutation.These findings capture the adaptive evolution of bet hedging in the simplest of organisms, and suggest that risk- spreading strategiesmay have beenamong the earliest evolutionary solutions to life in fluctuating environments.}, added-at = {2013-04-11T15:39:33.000+0200}, author = {Beaumont, Hubertus J E and Gallie, Jenna and Kost, Christian and Ferguson, Gayle C and Rainey, Paul B}, biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/247d69010df933376a79760991379d17f/carl-boettiger}, doi = {10.1038/nature08504}, file = {:home/cboettig/Documents/Mendeley/Nature/2009/Beaumont et al. - 2009 - Nature.pdf:pdf}, interhash = {0fceb1ff969c678c1cf1c26b615bea2f}, intrahash = {47d69010df933376a79760991379d17f}, journal = {Nature}, keywords = {theoretical-ecology}, number = {November}, pages = {90--94}, timestamp = {2013-04-11T15:42:55.000+0200}, title = {{Experimental evolution of bet hedging}}, volume = 462, year = 2009 }