The evolutionary and demographic consequences of gene flow in a threespine stickleback population /

I here explore the dual roles of gene flow in determining evolutionary and demographic processes in the Misty Lake threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus L.). In the Misty watershed, the lake fish have streamlined bodies and numerous gill rakers whereas the inlet stream fish have deeper bodies and reduced number of gill rakers, differences that are adaptive for lake and stream environments respectively. The outlet stream population, however, is morphologically intermediate between the lake and inlet populations as a result of high gene flow from the lake preventing adaptation to the stream environment. First, I quantify the constraining effect of gene flow on adaptive divergence in the Misty outlet using two complementary approaches. By comparing phenotypic values and environmental differences between the three habitats (i.e. lake, inlet and outlet), I estimate that the constraint imposed by gene flow on phenotypic divergence is in the order of 80%, i.e. the outlet population only achieves 20% of the phenotypic divergence expected in the absence of gene flow. Parameterization of a quantitative genetic model confirms this value is possible given a biologically realistic range of parameter values. Second, I demonstrate that this constraint imposed by gene flow on adaptation likely contributes to an observed reduction in abundances along the outlet stream. I do so using a transplant experiment and a three-year selection experiment. Quantification of the amount of dispersal suggests that the negative influence of gene flow offsets the positive demographic influence of the immigration of individuals. In summary, gene flow has profound consequences for both evolutionary and demographic processes taking place in the Misty system