A new study by Liam Dolan and Frédéric Berger at the Gregor Mendel Institute
(GMI) of Molecular Plant Biology connects climate data with genetic
variation, shedding light on how plants like Marchantia polymorpha adapt to
different climate conditions.



Understanding how plants naturally adapt to varying environments is
essential for predicting their responses to climate change, which can
ultimately aid in developing more resilient crops. Dolan and Berger's
research utilized population genetics along with global climate data to
identify genetic variants that contribute to climate adaptation in M.
polymorpha.



The researchers examined the genetics of various regional subpopulations of
M. polymorpha collected from Europe, America, and Japan to create a
comprehensive population genomics database. They compared the populations
from Europe and Japan and identified genetic variants linked to warmer and
colder summer temperatures and variations in summer precipitation. "These
adaptations could be crucial for optimizing reproduction under different
conditions," said Dolan.



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daptation