Early history of Arabidopsis thaliana

Arabidopsis thaliana is a good study system to shed light on evolutionary processes. Its broad native range and genetic diversity provide resources to study speciation and local adaptation. Durvasula et al. studied the early history and transition to selfing of this species by comparing genome sequences of populations native to Eurasia and Africa. They found that speciation most likely occurred in Africa, where populations first transitioned to selfing. In addition, population dynamics are coincident with known climate shifts and demographic events of other species, including humans. (Summary by Gaby Auge) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA  10.1073/pnas.1616736114