Polyploidy in urban environments

Abstract

Polyploidy is a major driver of evolutionary change in plants, but many aspects of polyploidy in natural systems remain enigmatic. We argue that urban landscapes present an unprecedented opportunity to observe polyploidy in action. Integrating polyploid biology and urban evolutionary ecology, we discuss multiple factors expected to promote polyploid formation, establishment, and persistence in urban systems. We develop a predictive framework for the contemporary ecology and evolution of polyploid plants in cities, and through this novel perspective propose that studying polyploidy in an urban context could lead to breakthroughs in understanding fundamental processes in polyploid evolution. We conclude by highlighting the potential consequences of polyploidy in urban environments, and outline a roadmap for research into this currently unexplored field.

Keywords: adaptation; anthropogenic environments; polyploidy; urban evolution.