Speaker
Description
Host-associated microbiomes are increasingly recognized as key players in adaptive evolution, shaping host responses to environmental stressors and exhibiting varying degrees of heritability across generations. Given their potential to influence host fitness, microbiomes may play a crucial role in facilitating evolutionary rescue. However, the conditions under which microbiomes promote evolutionary rescue remain poorly understood. To address this, we develop a mathematical model that integrates microbiome-mediated evolution with established evolutionary rescue theory, explicitly incorporating different modes of microbial transmission. Our results reveal that microbiome heritability indices alone provide limited predictive power for microbiome-mediated evolutionary rescue. Instead, we identify specific transmission mechanisms that govern the likelihood of host population persistence. This finding underscores microbiomes as key but often overlooked determinants of adaptive potential in changing environments. By linking microbial ecology with evolutionary theory, our framework provides new insights into how microbiomes buffer host populations against environmental stressors. We discuss implications for conservation biology, agriculture, and human health, highlighting how targeted microbial interventions could enhance population resilience and adaptive capacity.