Research identifies multiple chromosomal inversions that modulate continuous local adaptation along a steep temperature gradient. These inversions suppress recombination in the heterozygous state, thereby maintaining pools of co-adapted alleles adapted to different environments. The study demonstrates the direct contribution of inversions to adaptation in natural conditions through reciprocal transplantation of outbred lines. Inversions are associated with the transition in the life cycle from an annual to a perennial form and several barriers of reproductive isolation. The frequency of inversions varies along environmental gradients, including temperature, and promotes genetic differentiation of populations. The results confirm that inversions facilitate local adaptation in the presence of gene flow and contribute to diversity within a species.[1][2][3]