| Abstract: | According to theory, edge populations may be poised to expand species’ ranges if they are locally adapted to extreme conditions, or ill‐suited to colonise beyond‐range habitat if their offspring are genetically and competitively inferior. We tested these contrasting predictions by transplanting low‐, mid‐, and high‐elevation (edge) populations of an annual plant throughout and above its elevational distribution. Seed from poor‐quality edge habitat (one of two transects) had inferior emergence, but edge seeds also had adaptive phenology (both transects). High‐elevation plants flowered earlier, required less heat accumulation to mature seed, and so achieved higher lifetime fitness at and above the range edge. Experimental warming improved fitness above the range, but eliminated the advantage of local cold‐edge populations, supporting recent models in which cold‐adapted edge populations do not facilitate warming‐induced range shifts. The highest above‐range fitness was achieved by a ‘super edge phenotype’ from a neighbouring mountain, suggesting key adaptations exist regionally even if absent from local edge populations. |
