Genetic polymorphism in a temporally varying environment: Effects of delayed germination or diapause

Abstract

Temporal variation in the environment is generally thought to be less efficient in maintaining genetic polymorphism than spatial variation. However, if there is delayed germination or diapause, in some situations the conditions for genetic polymorphism are greatly broadened in a temporally variable environment. For a model with absolute dominance which means that there can be no type of heterozygous advantage, the upper bound is no longer the geometric mean and the lower bound may not be the arithmetic mean of the fitnesses over environments. In some situations, there is an unstable equilibrium present as well as the stable equilibrium. © 1995 The Genetical Society of Great Britain.