Laura Leventhal

Catch me if you can: Arabidopsis thaliana lags in adaptation to contemporary climate change

This study estimates a thermal adaptation lag of 1.91°C in Arabidopsis thaliana, indicating populations are better adapted to cooler climates than their home environments.

Longitudinal and cross-sectional selection on flowering traits in a self-incompatible annual.

The paper examines temporal and spatial variation in selection on flowering traits in Brassica rapa by analyzing male reproductive fitness across experimental populations.

Simulated climate change magnifies genetic vulnerabilities from mutation load and maladaptation

The paper shows that genetic makeup affects survival under simulated climate change, with deleterious mutations and maladaptive alleles reducing fitness in stressful climates.

Herbarium specimens reveal a constrained seasonal climate niche despite diverged annual climates across a wildflower clade

The paper uses herbarium specimens to show that closely related wildflower species, despite occupying diverse annual climates, track similar seasonal climate conditions through phenological shifts and spatial refugia.

Specimen-tailored "lived" climate reveals precipitation onset and amount best predict specimen phenology, but only weakly predict estimated reproduction across a clade

The paper uses herbarium specimens to reconstruct climate conditions and assess their impact on phenology and reproduction across a plant clade, finding precipitation onset and amount best predict phenology but weakly predict reproduction.

Rapid adaptation and extinction across climates in synchronized outdoor evolution experiments of Arabidopsis thaliana

This study observes rapid genetic adaptation and population dynamics in Arabidopsis thaliana across diverse climates over 5 years, showing predictable adaptation trends linked to survival and extinction risks.