Evolutionary Biology

The process of adaptive evolution – in the simplest models – occurs as long as selection acts on the population and there is heritable genetic variation for the trait under selection. However, many other proximate and ultimate factors can influence the process of adaptation. A past emphasis of my research has been the role of population size in determining quantitative genetic variation for ecologically relevant traits and the predicted response to selection. In a current project, we study the role of outcrossing and recombination on quantitative genetic variation and the response to selection. Furthermore, we explore how genetic correlations limit adaptation, and the role of environmental stress in adaptive evolution. Current investigations focus on Arabidopsis lyrata. Our work has a strong experimental component (selection experiments), but we also look at patterns of genetic variation and adaptation in natural populations of Arabidopsis lyrata in the Great Lakes region of North America.

• Accumulation of transposable elements in selfing populations of Arabidopsis lyrata supports the ectopic recombination model of transposon evolution
  Bonchev, Georgi; Willi, Yvonne
  NEW PHYTOLOGIST, 219 (2):767-778; 10.1111/nph.15201 JUL 2018
• Accumulation of Mutational Load at the Edges of a Species Range
  Willi, Yvonne; Fracassetti, Marco; Zoller, Stefan; Van Buskirk, Josh
  MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION, 35 (4):781-791; 10.1093/molbev/msy003 APR 2018
• Environmental marginality and geographic range limits: a case study with Arabidopsis lyrata ssp lyrata
  Lee-Yaw, Julie A.; Fracassetti, Marco; Willi, Yvonne
  ECOGRAPHY, 41 (4):622-634; 10.1111/ecog.02869 APR 2018
• Thermal acclimation in Arabidopsis lyrata: genotypic costs and transcriptional changes 
  Wos, G.; Willi, Y. 
  JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY, 31 (1): 123-135 JAN 2018 Article (Details)
• Quantitative Genetic Architecture at Latitudinal Range Boundaries: Reduced Variation but Higher Trait Independence 
  Paccard, Antoine; Van Buskirk, Josh; Willi, Yvonne 
  AMERICAN NATURALIST, 187 (5): 667-677 MAY 2016 Article (Details)
• Validation of Pooled Whole-Genome Re-Sequencing in Arabidopsis lyrata 
  Fracassetti, Marco; Griffin, Philippa C.; Willi, Yvonne 
  PLOS ONE, 10 (10): OCT 13 2015 Article (Details)
• Temperature-Stress Resistance and Tolerance along a Latitudinal Cline in North American Arabidopsis lyrata 
  Wos, Guillaume; Willi, Yvonne 
  PLOS ONE, 10 (6): JUN 25 2015 Article (Details)
• The Influence of Genetic Drift and Selection on Quantitative Traits in a Plant Pathogenic Fungus 
  Stefansson, Tryggvi S.; McDonald, Bruce A.; Willi, Yvonne 
  PLOS ONE, 9 (11): NOV 10 2014 Article (Details)

• Population genetics
• Quantitative genetics
• Conservation genetics
• Mating system evolution

• Conservation: fate of small populations under environmental change
• Genetic variation and adaptability in plant pathogenic fungi
• Mating system evolution and the evolution of selfish genetic elements
• Life history evolution, genetic trade-offs and genetic correlations