Population genetic studies of adaptation of forest trees during their expansion after the last glacial maximum

日本西部原始低地的月桂林被认为是在最后一次冰川高峰期后从一个或多个避难所扩大了分布。在这个项目中，我们通过研究它们的代表物种--总状落叶松、花椒和花椒以及生长在北美湿地的落叶杉的遗传结构，研究了它们在扩张过程中和扩张后的进化。我们得到了一些迹象表明，这三个月桂林物种虽然目前生长在同一森林中，但有着不同的种群历史。此外，我们还发现了可能对适应起作用的少量候选基因。

Laurel forests dominating pristine lowlands in western Japan are considered to have expanded their distribution from one or more refugia after the last glacial maximum. In this project, we investigated their evolution during and after the expansion by studying genetic structure of their representative species, Distylium racemosum, Cleyera japonica, and Zanthoxylum ailanthoides, along with Taxodium distichum that grows in wetlands of North America. We obtained some indications that the three laurel forest species, although growing in the same forest at present, had different population histories. Also we found a small number of candidate genes that might have contributed to the adaptation.