In Nature Ecology & Evolution, we show that genetic rescue can increase long-term fitness despite elevating putative genetic load.

Our new study in Nature Ecology & Evolution shows that genetic rescue can increase long-term fitness despite elevating putative genetic load.

Genetic rescue is a promising conservation strategy for restoring fitness in small populations. Using our model system — the bulb mite — we tested whether alternative male morphs influence the efficacy of genetic rescue. Both fighter and scrambler males similarly increased genetic diversity and putative genetic load, but their fitness benefits differed over time. Importantly, the benefits of genetic rescue persisted for 20 generations, including increased fecundity and reduced extinction risk under thermal stress. Our results demonstrate that maximizing genome-wide genetic diversity through genetic rescue can produce long-lasting fitness benefits, even when many putatively deleterious mutations are introduced.

Interested? Check out our paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-026-03080-8

Press release (In Polish): https://amu.edu.pl/dla-mediow/komunikaty-prasowe/czy-nowe-geny-sa-tego-warte

Research was funded by NCN OPUS grant (2023/49/B/NZ8/00277) awarded to Jonathan Parrett