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Cisternas-Fuentes A, Koski MH. Effective population size mediates the impact of pollination services on pollen limitation. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20231519. [PMID: 38196350 PMCID: PMC10777167 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Inadequate pollen receipt limits flowering plant reproduction worldwide. Ecological causes of pollen limitation (PL), like pollinator scarcity and low plant abundance, have been a primary research focus. The genetic diversity of plant populations could impact both quantity and quality components of PL in concert with ecological factors, yet empirical examples are lacking. We evaluated joint effects of ecological factors (flower abundance, pollinator visitation) and genetic effective population size (NE) on PL across 13 populations of the common herb Argentina anserina. We used a histological approach with 5504 styles from 1137 flowers to separate quantity and quality components of PL, and link these to reproductive output. NE and pollinator visitation interacted to shape PL, but NE had stronger direct effects. Effectively smaller populations experienced stronger quantity PL, and controlled crosses in a pollinator-free environment revealed that stigmatic pollen quantity was an intrinsic population-level attribute that increased with NE. Pollinator visitation enhanced pollen quality, but only in effectively larger populations. Quantity and quality PL negatively impacted fruit and seed set, respectively. Results highlight that PL is dictated by plant population genetic diversity in addition to commonly evaluated ecological factors. Efforts to support pollinators will more strongly enhance plant reproduction in genetically diverse populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita Cisternas-Fuentes
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
- Departamento de botánica, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Matthew H. Koski
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
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2
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Hou M, Opedal ØH, Zhao ZG. Sexually concordant selection on floral traits despite greater opportunity for selection through male fitness. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024; 241:926-936. [PMID: 37899633 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023]
Abstract
Pollinators are important drivers of floral trait evolution, yet plant populations are not always perfectly adapted to their pollinators. Such apparent maladaptation may result from conflicting selection through male and female sexual functions in hermaphrodites. We studied sex-specific mating patterns and phenotypic selection on floral traits in Aconitum gymnandrum. After genotyping 1786 offspring, we partitioned individual fitness into sex-specific selfed and outcrossed components and estimated phenotypic selection acting through each. Relative fitness increased with increasing mate number, and more so for male function. This led to greater opportunity for selection through outcrossed male fitness, though patterns of phenotypic selection on floral traits tended to be similar, and with better support for selection through female rather than male fitness components. We detected directional selection through one or more fitness component for larger flower number, larger flowers, and more negative nectar gradients within inflorescences. Our results are consistent with Bateman's principles for sex-specific mating patterns and illustrate that, despite the expected difference in opportunity for selection, patterns of variation in selection across traits can be rather similar for the male and female sexual functions. These results shed new light on the effect of sexual selection on the evolution of floral traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Hou
- College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, 730000, Lanzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Environment, State Key Laboratory of Black Soils Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 130102, Changchun, China
| | | | - Zhi-Gang Zhao
- College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, 730000, Lanzhou, China
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3
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Brown KS, Caruso CM. The effect of experimental pollinator decline on pollinator-mediated selection on floral traits. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10706. [PMID: 37953983 PMCID: PMC10636310 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Human-mediated environmental change, by reducing mean fitness, is hypothesized to strengthen selection on traits that mediate interactions among species. For example, human-mediated declines in pollinator populations are hypothesized to reduce mean seed production by increasing the magnitude of pollen limitation and thus strengthen pollinator-mediated selection on floral traits that increase pollinator attraction or pollen transfer efficiency. To test this hypothesis, we measured two female fitness components and six floral traits of Lobelia siphilitica plants exposed to supplemental hand-pollination, ambient open-pollination, or reduced open-pollination treatments. The reduced treatment simulated pollinator decline, while the supplemental treatment was used to estimate pollen limitation and pollinator-mediated selection. We found that plants in the reduced pollination treatment were significantly pollen limited, resulting in pollinator-mediated selection for taller inflorescences and more vibrant petals, both traits that could increase pollinator attraction. This contrasts with plants in the ambient pollination treatment, where reproduction was not pollen limited and there was not significant pollinator-mediated selection on any floral trait. Our results support the hypothesis that human-mediated environmental change can strengthen selection on traits of interacting species and suggest that these traits have the potential to evolve in response to changing environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn S. Brown
- Department of Integrative BiologyUniversity of GuelphGuelphOntarioCanada
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Lavaut E, Valero M, Mauger S, Guillemin ML, Destombe C, Dufay M. Sexual selection in seaweed? Testing Bateman's principles in the red alga Gracilaria gracilis. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20231668. [PMID: 37700657 PMCID: PMC10498045 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
In anisogamous species, sexual selection is expected to be stronger in males. Bateman's principles state that the variance in (i) reproductive and (ii) mating success is greater for males, and (iii) the relationship between reproductive success and mating success (the Bateman gradient) is also stronger for males than for females. Sexual selection, based on Bateman's principles, has been demonstrated in animals and some angiosperms, but never in a seaweed. Here we focus on the oogamous haploid-diploid rhodophyte Gracilaria gracilis in which previous studies have shown evidence for non-random mating, suggesting the existence of male-male competition and female choice. We estimated mating and reproductive success using paternity analyses in a natural population where up to 92% of fertilizations occurred between partners of that population. The results show that the variance in mating success is significantly greater in males than in females and that the Bateman gradient is positive only in males. Distance to female partners also explains a minor part of the variance in male mating success. Although there is no evidence for sexual dimorphism, our study supports the hypothesis that sexual selection occurs in G. gracilis, probably on male traits, even if we cannot observe, characterize or quantify them yet.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. Lavaut
- IRL EBEA 3614, Evolutionary Biology and Ecology of Algae, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Universidad Austral de Chile, Station Biologique de Roscoff, CS 90074, Place Georges Teissier, 29688 Roscoff cedex, France
| | - M. Valero
- IRL EBEA 3614, Evolutionary Biology and Ecology of Algae, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Universidad Austral de Chile, Station Biologique de Roscoff, CS 90074, Place Georges Teissier, 29688 Roscoff cedex, France
| | - S. Mauger
- IRL EBEA 3614, Evolutionary Biology and Ecology of Algae, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Universidad Austral de Chile, Station Biologique de Roscoff, CS 90074, Place Georges Teissier, 29688 Roscoff cedex, France
| | - M. L. Guillemin
- IRL EBEA 3614, Evolutionary Biology and Ecology of Algae, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Universidad Austral de Chile, Station Biologique de Roscoff, CS 90074, Place Georges Teissier, 29688 Roscoff cedex, France
- Núcleo Milenio MASH, Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Evolutivas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | - C. Destombe
- IRL EBEA 3614, Evolutionary Biology and Ecology of Algae, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Universidad Austral de Chile, Station Biologique de Roscoff, CS 90074, Place Georges Teissier, 29688 Roscoff cedex, France
| | - M. Dufay
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
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Benning JW, Faulkner A, Moeller DA. Rapid evolution during climate change: demographic and genetic constraints on adaptation to severe drought. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20230336. [PMID: 37161337 PMCID: PMC10170215 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Populations often vary in their evolutionary responses to a shared environmental perturbation. A key hurdle in building more predictive models of rapid evolution is understanding this variation-why do some populations and traits evolve while others do not? We combined long-term demographic and environmental data, estimates of quantitative genetic variance components, a resurrection experiment and individual-based evolutionary simulations to gain mechanistic insights into contrasting evolutionary responses to a severe multi-year drought. We examined five traits in two populations of a native California plant, Clarkia xantiana, at three time points over 7 years. Earlier flowering phenology evolved in only one of the two populations, though both populations experienced similar drought severity and demographic declines and were estimated to have considerable additive genetic variance for flowering phenology. Pairing demographic and experimental data with evolutionary simulations suggested that while seed banks in both populations probably constrained evolutionary responses, a stronger seed bank in the non-evolving population resulted in evolutionary stasis. Gene flow through time via germ banks may be an important, underappreciated control on rapid evolution in response to extreme environmental perturbations.
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Affiliation(s)
- John W. Benning
- Department of Botany, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55455, USA
| | - Alexai Faulkner
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55455, USA
| | - David A. Moeller
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55455, USA
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6
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Koski MH. Pollinators exert selection on floral traits in a pollen-limited, narrowly endemic spring ephemeral. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2023; 110:e16101. [PMID: 36371765 PMCID: PMC10108127 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.16101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Floral traits are frequently under pollinator-mediated selection, especially in taxa subject to strong pollen-limitation, such as those reliant on pollinators. However, antagonists can be agents of selection on floral traits as well. The causes of selection acting on spring ephemerals are understudied though these species can experience particularly strong pollen-limitation. I examined pollinator- and antagonist-mediated selection in a narrowly endemic spring ephemeral, Trillium discolor. METHODS I measured pollen limitation in T. discolor across two years and evaluated its breeding system. I compared selection on floral traits (display height, petal size, petal color, flowering time) between open-pollinated, and pollen-supplemented plants to measure the strength and mode of pollinator-mediated selection. I assessed whether natural levels of antagonism impacted selection on floral traits. RESULTS Trillium discolor was self-incompatible and experienced pollen limitation in both years of the study. Pollinators exerted negative disruptive selection on display height and petals size. In one year, pollinator-mediated selection favored lighter petals but in the second year pollinators favored darker petals. Antagonist damage did not alter selection on floral traits. CONCLUSIONS Results demonstrate that pollinators mediate the strength and mode of selection on floral traits in T. discolor. Interannual variation in the strength, mode, and direction of pollinator-mediated selection on floral traits could be important for maintaining of floral diversity in this system. Observed levels of antagonism were weak agents of selection on floral traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew H. Koski
- Department of Biological SciencesClemson UniversityClemsonSouth Carolina29634USA
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7
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Blüml C, Ramm SA, van Benthem KJ, Wittmann MJ. Waiting for love but not forever: Modeling the evolution of waiting time to selfing in hermaphrodites. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.1002475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Although mixed mating systems involving both selfing and outcrossing are fairly common in hermaphrodites, the mechanisms maintaining mixed mating are still unknown in many cases. In some species, individuals that have not yet found a mating partner delay self-fertilization for some time. This “waiting time” to selfing (WT) can exhibit heritable variation between individuals and is subject to two opposing selection pressures: waiting longer increases the density-dependent probability to encounter a mate within that time and thereby the chance to avoid inbreeding depression (ID) in offspring, but also increases the risk of dying before reproduction. It has long been hypothesized that fluctuations in population density and thus mate availability can lead to stable intermediate WTs, but to our knowledge there are so far no quantitative models that also take into account the joint evolutionary dynamics of ID. We use an individual-based model and a mathematical approximation to explore how delayed selfing evolves in response to density and density fluctuations. We find that at high density, when individuals meet often, WT evolution is dominated by genetic drift; at intermediate densities, strong ID causes WT to increase; and at low densities, ID is purged and WT approaches zero. Positive feedback loops drive the system to either complete selfing or complete outcrossing. Fluctuating density can slow down convergence to these alternative stable states. However, mixed mating, in the sense of either a stable polymorphism in WT, or stable intermediate waiting times, was never observed. Thus, additional factors need to be explored to explain the persistence of delayed selfing.
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8
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Chen K, Pannell JR. Disruptive selection via pollinators and seed predators on the height of flowers on a wind-dispersed alpine herb. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2022; 109:1717-1729. [PMID: 36194694 PMCID: PMC9828390 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.16073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Floral stalk height is known to affect seed dispersal of wind-dispersed grassland species, but it may also affect the attractiveness of flowers and fruits of animal-pollinated and animal-dispersed plants. Stalk height may thus be responsive to selection via interactions with both mutualist pollinators and seed dispersers, but also antagonist florivores and seed predators. In this study, we aimed to determine the effect of pollinators and seed predators on selection on floral stalk height in the insect-pollinated and wind-dispersed, alpine, andromonoecious herb Pulsatilla alpina, whose flowers also vary in their sex allocation and thus in the resources available to both mutualists and antagonists. METHODS We measured the resource status of individuals in terms of their size and the height of the vegetation surrounding plants of P. alpina at 11 sites. In one population, we recorded floral stalk height over an entire growing season and investigated its association with floral morphology and floral sex allocation (pistil and stamen number) and used leaf-removal manipulations to assess the effect of herbivory on floral stalk height. Finally, in four populations, we quantified phenotypic selection on floral stalk height in four female components of reproductive success before seed dispersal. RESULTS Stalk height was positively associated with female allocation of the respective flower, the resource status of the individual, and the height of the surrounding vegetation, and negatively affected by leaf removal. Our results point to disruptive selection on stalk height in terms of both selection differentials and selection gradients for fertilization, seed predation, and seed maturation rates and to positive selection on stalk height in terms of a selection differential for mature seed number. CONCLUSIONS Stalk height of P. alpina is a costly trait that affects female reproductive success via interactions with both mutualists and antagonists. We discuss the interplay between the resource status and selection imposed on female reproductive success and its likely role in the evolution of sex-allocation strategies, especially andromonoecy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai‐Hsiu Chen
- Department of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of LausanneBiophore Building1015LausanneSwitzerland
| | - John R. Pannell
- Department of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of LausanneBiophore Building1015LausanneSwitzerland
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9
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Simón‐Porcar VI, Muñoz‐Pajares AJ, de Castro A, Arroyo J. Direct evidence supporting Darwin's hypothesis of cross-pollination promoted by sex organ reciprocity. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 235:2099-2110. [PMID: 35596603 PMCID: PMC9546006 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The floral phenotype plays a main role in the attraction and fit of pollinators. Both perianth traits and the positioning of sex organs can be subjected to natural selection and determine nonrandom mating patterns in populations. In stylar-polymorphic species, the Darwinian hypothesis predicts increased mating success between individuals with sex organs at equivalent heights (i.e. with higher reciprocity). We used paternity analyses in experimental populations of a stylar-dimorphic species. By comparing the observed mating patterns with those expected under random mating, we tested the effects of sex organ reciprocity and perianth traits on mating success. We also analysed phenotypic selection on perianth traits through female and male functions. The (dis)similarity of parental perianth traits had no direct effects on the mating patterns. Sex organ reciprocity had a positive effect on mating success. Narrow floral tubes increased this effect in upper sex organs. Perianth traits showed little signs of phenotypic selection. Female and absolute fitness measures resulted in different patterns of phenotypic selection. We provide precise empirical evidence of the Darwinian hypothesis about the functioning of stylar polymorphisms, demonstrating that mating patterns are determined by sex organ reciprocity and only those perianth traits which are critical to pollinator fit.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - A. Jesús Muñoz‐Pajares
- Department of GeneticsUniversity of GranadaE‐18071GranadaSpain
- Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources (CIBIO)Campus Agrário de Vairão4485‐661VairãoPortugal
| | - Alejandra de Castro
- Department of Plant Biology and EcologyUniversity of SevilleE‐41080SevilleSpain
| | - Juan Arroyo
- Department of Plant Biology and EcologyUniversity of SevilleE‐41080SevilleSpain
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Huang X, Chen M, Wang L, Yang M, Yang N, Li Z, Duan Y. Phenotypic Selection in Halenia elliptica D. Don (Gentianaceae), an Alpine Biennial with Mixed Mating System. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 11:1488. [PMID: 35684261 PMCID: PMC9183009 DOI: 10.3390/plants11111488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The transition from outcrossing to selfing is a common evolutionary trend in flowering plants, and floral traits change significantly with the evolution of selfing. Whether or not plant traits are subjected to selection remains an open question in species with mixed mating systems. We examined phenotypic selection in two populations of Halenia elliptica with different selfing rates. We found that the pollen-ovule ratio, seed size, plant height, spur length, and pollinator visitation rate in the population with the higher selfing rate were lower than those in the population with the lower selfing rate. Selfing provides reproductive assurance for populations when pollinator service is low, and the floral traits that are associated with selfing syndrome are evident in populations with a higher selfing rate but are subjected to weak selection in each of the two populations with different selfing rates. Directional selection for an early flowering time indicated that late blooming flowers could experience a risk of seed development in alpine environments, and for large plants, selection indicated that seed production could be limited by the available resources. The floral traits that are associated with pollinator attraction and specialization could be subjected to weak selection at the plant level as selfing evolves, and the selective pressures that are independent of pollinators might not change significantly; highlighting the selective biotic and abiotic pressures that shape the morphological traits of plant species and their independence from the mating system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojuan Huang
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an 710069, China;
- The Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research at Kunming, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China; (M.C.); (L.W.); (N.Y.)
| | - Minyu Chen
- The Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research at Kunming, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China; (M.C.); (L.W.); (N.Y.)
| | - Linlin Wang
- The Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research at Kunming, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China; (M.C.); (L.W.); (N.Y.)
| | - Mingliu Yang
- School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China;
| | - Nacai Yang
- The Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research at Kunming, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China; (M.C.); (L.W.); (N.Y.)
| | - Zhonghu Li
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an 710069, China;
| | - Yuanwen Duan
- The Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research at Kunming, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China; (M.C.); (L.W.); (N.Y.)
- Yunnan Lijiang Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lijiang 674100, China
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11
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Ruane LG, Mangum SM, Horner KM, Moeller DA. The opportunity for outcrossing varies across the geographic range of the primarily selfing Clarkia xantiana ssp. parviflora. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2020; 107:1198-1207. [PMID: 32700343 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE The timing of self-fertilization has potentially important consequences for the trajectory of mating system evolution, the opportunity for outcrossing, and the maintenance of genetic variation in populations. For primarily selfing taxa, it remains poorly understood as to how floral variation influences the opportunity for outcrossing and whether those attributes vary among populations across geographic ranges. METHODS We examined variation in floral traits (herkogamy, protandry, flower size, stigma stage at anthesis, timing of stigma receptivity) in seven populations of Clarkia xantiana ssp. parviflora, a primarily selfing taxon, spanning from the western to eastern margins of its distribution. We also performed experimental emasculations and pollinations (followed by stigma severing) to quantify the extent of opportunities for outcrossing across flower development. RESULTS There was marked among-population variation in all floral traits, particularly between far eastern and western populations. Emasculation experiments showed that the eastern populations had minimal autonomous selfing, but western populations had high rates of selfing within 24 h after anthesis. Population variation in autofertility was significantly predicted by floral trait variation, especially protandry and petal size. CONCLUSIONS Greater protandry both extended the time over which outcrossing could potentially occur and reduced the probability of autonomous selfing, suggesting that there may be a tradeoff that results in fitness loss when pollinator visits are not common. The east-west pattern of differentiation in some floral traits parallels that of postglacial range expansion, suggesting that selection on the mating system may have been strong in the process of range expansion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren G Ruane
- Department of Organismal and Environmental Biology, Christopher Newport University, 1 Avenue of the Arts, Newport News, Virginia, 23606, United States
| | - Samantha M Mangum
- Department of Organismal and Environmental Biology, Christopher Newport University, 1 Avenue of the Arts, Newport News, Virginia, 23606, United States
| | - Kaitlyn M Horner
- Department of Organismal and Environmental Biology, Christopher Newport University, 1 Avenue of the Arts, Newport News, Virginia, 23606, United States
| | - David A Moeller
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, 1479 Gortner Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota, 55108, United States
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12
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Eisen KE, Wruck AC, Geber MA. Floral density and co‐occurring congeners alter patterns of selection in annual plant communities*. Evolution 2020; 74:1682-1698. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.13960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2019] [Revised: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Katherine E. Eisen
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca New York 14853
| | - Amy C. Wruck
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca New York 14853
| | - Monica A. Geber
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca New York 14853
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13
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Christopher DA, Mitchell RJ, Karron JD. Pollination intensity and paternity in flowering plants. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2020; 125:1-9. [PMID: 31586397 PMCID: PMC6948204 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcz159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Revised: 09/06/2019] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Siring success plays a key role in plant evolution and reproductive ecology, and variation among individuals creates an opportunity for selection to act. Differences in male reproductive success can be caused by processes that occur during two stages, the pollination and post-pollination phases of reproduction. In the pollination phase, heritable variation in floral traits and floral display affect pollinator visitation patterns, which in turn affect variation among plants in the amount of pollen exported and deposited on recipient stigmas. In the post-pollination phase, differences among individuals in pollen grain germination success and pollen tube growth may cause realized paternity to differ from patterns of pollen receipt. The maternal plant can also preferentially provision some developing seeds or fruits to further alter variation in siring success. SCOPE In this review, we describe studies that advance our understanding of the dynamics of the pollination and post-pollination phases, focusing on how variation in male fitness changes in response to pollen limitation. We then explore the interplay between pollination and post-pollination success, and how these processes respond to ecological factors such as pollination intensity. We also identify pressing questions at the intersection of pollination and paternity and describe novel experimental approaches to elucidate the relative importance of pollination and post-pollination factors in determining male reproductive success. CONCLUSIONS The relative contribution of pollination and post-pollination processes to variation in male reproductive success may not be constant, but rather may vary with pollination intensity. Studies that quantify the effects of pollination and post-pollination phases in concert will be especially valuable as they will enable researchers to more fully understand the ecological conditions influencing male reproductive success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorothy A Christopher
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | | | - Jeffrey D Karron
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
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Christopher DA, Mitchell RJ, Trapnell DW, Smallwood PA, Semski WR, Karron JD. Hermaphroditism promotes mate diversity in flowering plants. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2019; 106:1131-1136. [PMID: 31403705 PMCID: PMC6852098 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2019] [Accepted: 06/04/2019] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Genetically diverse sibships are thought to increase parental fitness through a reduction in the intensity of sib competition, and through increased opportunities for seedling establishment in spatially or temporally heterogeneous environments. Nearly all research on mate diversity in flowering plants has focused on the number of fathers siring seeds within a fruit or on a maternal plant. Yet as hermaphrodites, plants can also accrue mate diversity by siring offspring on several pollen recipients in a population. Here we explore whether mate composition overlaps between the dual sex functions, and discuss the implications for plant reproductive success. METHODS We established an experimental population of 49 Mimulus ringens (monkeyflower) plants, each trimmed to a single flower. Following pollination by wild bees, we quantified mate composition for each flower through both paternal and maternal function. Parentage was successfully assigned to 240 progeny, 98% of the sampled seeds. RESULTS Comparison of mate composition between male and female function revealed high mate diversity, with almost no outcross mates shared between the two sexual functions of the same flower. CONCLUSIONS Dual sex roles contribute to a near doubling of mate diversity in our experimental population of Mimulus ringens. This finding may help explain the maintenance of hermaphroditism under conditions that would otherwise favor the evolution of separate sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorothy A. Christopher
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Wisconsin – Milwaukee3209 N. Maryland AveMilwaukeeWisconsin53211USA
| | | | - Dorset W. Trapnell
- Department of Plant BiologyUniversity of Georgia120 Carlton StAthensGeorgia30602USA
| | - Patrick A. Smallwood
- Department of Plant BiologyUniversity of Georgia120 Carlton StAthensGeorgia30602USA
| | - Wendy R. Semski
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Wisconsin – Milwaukee3209 N. Maryland AveMilwaukeeWisconsin53211USA
| | - Jeffrey D. Karron
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Wisconsin – Milwaukee3209 N. Maryland AveMilwaukeeWisconsin53211USA
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15
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Rifkin JL, Liao IT, Castillo AS, Rausher MD. Multiple aspects of the selfing syndrome of the morning glory Ipomoea lacunosa evolved in response to selection: A Qst-Fst comparison. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:7712-7725. [PMID: 31346434 PMCID: PMC6635925 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2019] [Revised: 05/17/2019] [Accepted: 05/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The frequent transition from outcrossing to selfing in flowering plants is often accompanied by changes in multiple aspects of floral morphology, termed the "selfing syndrome." While the repeated evolution of these changes suggests a role for natural selection, genetic drift may also be responsible. To determine whether selection or drift shaped different aspects of the pollination syndrome and mating system in the highly selfing morning glory Ipomoea lacunosa, we performed multivariate and univariate Qst-Fst comparisons using a wide sample of populations of I. lacunosa and its mixed-mating sister species Ipomoea cordatotriloba. The two species differ in early growth, floral display, inflorescence traits, corolla size, nectar, and pollen number. Our analyses support a role for natural selection driving trait divergence, specifically in corolla size and nectar traits, but not in early growth, display size, inflorescence length, or pollen traits. We also find evidence of selection for reduced herkogamy in I. lacunosa, consistent with selection driving both the transition in mating system and the correlated floral changes. Our research demonstrates that while some aspects of the selfing syndrome evolved in response to selection, others likely evolved due to drift or correlated selection, and the balance between these forces may vary across selfing species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Irene T. Liao
- Department of BiologyDuke UniversityDurhamNorth Carolina
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16
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Teixido AL, Aizen MA. Reproductive assurance weakens pollinator-mediated selection on flower size in an annual mixed-mating species. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2019; 123:1067-1077. [PMID: 30778517 PMCID: PMC6589515 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcz014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2018] [Accepted: 01/14/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS In animal-pollinated plants, direct and indirect selection for large and small flowers in predominantly outcrossing and selfing species, respectively, is a common consequence of pollen limitation (PL). However, many hermaphroditic species show a mixed-mating system known as delayed selfing, which provides reproductive assurance (RA) only when outcrossing is not realized. Although RA is expected to reduce pollinator-mediated selection towards larger flowers, the consequences of delayed selfing for selection on flower size in mixed-mating species remain overlooked. We investigated whether RA weakens selection on flower size in Tuberaria guttata, a mixed-mating annual herb. METHODS We related pollinator visitation rates to flower size and measured seed production in emasculated, hand cross-pollinated and intact (control) flowers in three natural populations. For each population, we estimated variation in PL and RA across individuals differing in flower size and phenotypic selection on this trait. KEY RESULTS Pollinator visitation increased and RA decreased with flower size in all populations. Increasing RA diminished but did not fully alleviate PL, because of early-acting inbreeding depression. In the least-visited and most pollen-limited population, RA increased seed production by >200 %, intensely counteracting the strong pollinator-mediated selection for larger corollas. In the most-visited population, however, RA increased seed production by an average of only 9 %. This population exhibited the largest fraction of individuals that showed a decrease in seed production due to selfing and the weakest pollinator-mediated selection on flower size. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that the balance between the extent of RA and outcrossing contributes to determine flower size in mixed-mating systems. Pollinator-mediated selection favours larger flowers by increasing outcrossed seeds, but the benefits of RA greatly lessen this effect, especially under severe conditions of pollen limitation. Our findings also indicate that a mixed-mating system can represent an 'evolutionary trap' under an adequate pollinator supply.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto L Teixido
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marcelo A Aizen
- Grupo de Ecología de la Polinización, Universidad Nacional del Comahue and INIBIOMA-CONICET, Río Negro, Argentina
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17
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Mazer SJ, Chellew JP, Peach K. Floral traits influence the opportunity for selection among male gametophytes: independent and combined effects of style length and petal area. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2019; 106:744-753. [PMID: 31022312 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2018] [Accepted: 01/31/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Strong correlations between traits can obscure their independent effects on components of reproduction. Style length (SL) and petal area (PA) vary within species, for example, but their independent effects on the opportunity for selection among pollen genotypes are poorly understood. Previous work in Clarkia detected a positive effect of SL on pollen receipt, potentially intensifying selection. However, this apparent effect of SL may be influenced by a correlated trait, such as PA. Here, we examine the independent effects of these two traits on pollen receipt and performance. METHODS We collected petals and styles from wild populations of two insect-pollinated Clarkia taxa and estimated the independent and combined effects of SL and PA on pollen receipt and performance. RESULTS In both taxa, SL and PA are positively correlated. In C. unguiculata, both traits positively and independently affect pollen receipt, but in C. xantiana ssp. xantiana, the two traits act only in combination to affect pollen receipt. In both taxa, pollen receipt positively affects the numbers of pollen tubes entering and penetrating the style, as well as pollen tube attrition. CONCLUSIONS The effects of SL and PA on pollen receipt and performance are taxon specific. In C. unguiculata, both traits may be independent targets of selection due to their effects on pollen receipt. In C. xantiana ssp. xantiana, by contrast, the combined (but not independent) effects of SL and PA influence pollen receipt. Ecological differences between these taxa require exploration to understand the mechanisms by which these traits affect pollinator behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan J Mazer
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, 93106, USA
| | - Joseph P Chellew
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, 93106, USA
| | - Kristen Peach
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, 93106, USA
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18
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Minnaar C, Anderson B, de Jager ML, Karron JD. Plant-pollinator interactions along the pathway to paternity. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2019; 123:225-245. [PMID: 30535041 PMCID: PMC6344347 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcy167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2018] [Accepted: 11/23/2018] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Background The male fitness pathway, from pollen production to ovule fertilization, is thought to strongly influence reproductive trait evolution in animal-pollinated plants. This pathway is characterized by multiple avenues of pollen loss which may lead to reductions in male fitness. However, empirical data on the mechanistic processes leading to pollen loss during transport are limited, and we therefore lack a comprehensive understanding of how male fitness is influenced by each step in the pollination process. Scope This review assesses the history of studying male function in plants and identifies critical gaps in our understanding of the ecology and evolution of pollen transport. We explore male reproductive function along the steps of the pathway to paternity and discuss evolutionary options to overcome barriers to siring success. In particular, we present a newly emerging idea that bodies of pollinators function as a dynamic arena facilitating intense male-male competition, where pollen of rival males is constantly covered or displaced by competitors. This perspective extends the pollen-competitive arena beyond the confines of the stigma and style, and highlights the opportunity for important new breakthroughs in the study of male reproductive strategies and floral evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corneile Minnaar
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, South Africa
| | - Bruce Anderson
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, South Africa
| | - Marinus L de Jager
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, South Africa
| | - Jeffrey D Karron
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
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19
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Shaw RG. From the Past to the Future: Considering the Value and Limits of Evolutionary Prediction. Am Nat 2019; 193:1-10. [DOI: 10.1086/700565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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Opedal ØH. The evolvability of animal-pollinated flowers: towards predicting adaptation to novel pollinator communities. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2019; 221:1128-1135. [PMID: 30145801 DOI: 10.1111/nph.15403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
In the event of a community turnover, population decline, or complete disappearance of pollinators, animal-pollinated plants may respond by adapting to novel pollinators or by changing their mating system. The ability of populations to adapt is determined by their ability to respond to novel selection pressures, i.e. their evolvability. In the short term, evolvability is determined by standing genetic variation in the trait under selection. To evaluate the evolutionary potential of plant reproductive systems, I compiled genetic-variance estimates for a large selection of floral traits mediating shifts in pollination and mating systems. Then, I computed evolvabilities and compared these among trait groups and against the evolvabilities of vegetative traits. Evolvabilities of most floral traits were substantial yet tended to be lower than the median for vegetative traits. Among floral traits, herkogamy (anther-stigma distance), floral-display traits and perhaps floral-volatile concentrations had greater-than-average evolvabilities, while the evolvabilities of pollinator-fit traits were below average. These results suggest that most floral traits have the potential to evolve rapidly in response to novel selection pressures, providing resilience of plant reproductive systems in the event of changing pollinator communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Øystein H Opedal
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU, Trondheim, 7491, Norway
- Research Centre for Ecological Change, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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21
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Olito C, Abbott JK, Jordan CY. The interaction between sex-specific selection and local adaptation in species without separate sexes. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 373:20170426. [PMID: 30150224 PMCID: PMC6125720 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Local adaptation in hermaphrodite species can be based on a variety of fitness components, including survival, as well as both female and male sex-functions within individuals. When selection via female and male fitness components varies spatially (e.g. due to environmental heterogeneity), local adaptation will depend, in part, on variation in selection through each fitness component, and the extent to which genetic trade-offs between sex-functions maintain genetic variation necessary for adaptation. Local adaptation will also depend on the hermaphrodite mating system because self-fertilization alters several key factors influencing selection and the maintenance of genetic variance underlying trade-offs between the sex-functions (sexually antagonistic polymorphism). As a first step to guide intuition regarding sex-specific adaptation in hermaphrodites, we develop a simple theoretical model incorporating the essential features of hermaphrodite mating and adaptation in a spatially heterogeneous environment, and explore the interaction between sex-specific selection, self-fertilization and local adaptation. Our results suggest that opportunities for sex-specific local adaptation in hermaphrodites depend strongly on the extent of self-fertilization and inbreeding depression. Using our model as a conceptual framework, we provide a broad overview of the literature on sex-specific selection and local adaptation in hermaphroditic plants and animals, emphasizing promising future directions in light of our theoretical predictions.This article is part of the theme issue 'Linking local adaptation with the evolution of sex differences'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin Olito
- Centre for Geometric Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Victoria 3800, Australia
- Department of Biology, Section for Evolutionary Ecology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Jessica K Abbott
- Department of Biology, Section for Evolutionary Ecology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Crispin Y Jordan
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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Yuan S, Zeng G, Zhang D. Development of microsatellite markers for Primula oreodoxa (Primulaceae), a distylous-homostylous species. APPLICATIONS IN PLANT SCIENCES 2018; 6:e01150. [PMID: 30131892 PMCID: PMC5991559 DOI: 10.1002/aps3.1150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2018] [Accepted: 02/05/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE OF THE STUDY Microsatellite markers were developed for a distylous-homostylous species, Primula oreodoxa (Primulaceae), to investigate the mating patterns and gene flow in the species. METHODS AND RESULTS Using RAD sequencing, 42,777 contigs were generated. A total of 1566 putative simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci were identified by MISA, and 1433 primer sets were designed. After initial screening of 107 SSR loci, 24 loci displayed polymorphism. The number of alleles per locus detected ranged from one to 11 in the sampled populations of P. oreodoxa. Levels of observed and expected heterozygosity for each locus ranged from 0 to 0.917 and 0 to 0.816, respectively. Fifteen and 13 of these loci could be successfully amplified in the two congeneric species P. obconica and P. heucherifolia, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The SSR markers developed here will be valuable for genetic analysis and elucidation of mating patterns in P. oreodoxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable UtilizationSouth China Botanical GardenChinese Academy of SciencesGuangzhou510650People’s Republic of China
- University of the Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing10049People’s Republic of China
| | - Gui Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable UtilizationSouth China Botanical GardenChinese Academy of SciencesGuangzhou510650People’s Republic of China
- University of the Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing10049People’s Republic of China
| | - Dianxiang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable UtilizationSouth China Botanical GardenChinese Academy of SciencesGuangzhou510650People’s Republic of China
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