scholarly journals Genetic differentiation can be predicted from observational data for reproductive but not vegetative traits in a widespread short-lived plant

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesus Villellas ◽  
Johan Ehrlén ◽  
Elizabeth Crone ◽  
Anna Csergő ◽  
Maria Garcia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Differentiation ◽  
Observational Data ◽  
Plantago Lanceolata ◽  
Reproductive Traits ◽  
Environmental Drivers ◽  
Population Genetic Differentiation ◽  
Vegetative Traits ◽  
Biomass Component ◽  
Genetically Determined ◽  
Plastic Responses

Phenotypic plasticity can mask population genetic differentiation, reducing the predictability of trait-environment relationships. In short-lived plants, reproductive traits may be more genetically determined due to their direct impact on fitness, whereas vegetative traits may show higher plasticity to buffer short-term perturbations. Combining a multi-treatment greenhouse experiment with global field observations for the short-lived Plantago lanceolata, we 1) disentangled the genetic and plastic responses of functional traits to a set of environmental drivers and 2) assessed the utility of trait-environment relationshisps inferred from observational data for predicting genetic differentiation. Reproductive traits showed distinct genetic differentiation that was highly predictable from observational data, but only when correcting traits for differences in their (labile) biomass component. Vegetative traits showed higher plasticity and contrasting genetic and plastic responses, leading to unpredictable trait patterns. Our study suggests that genetic differentiation may be inferred from observational data only for the traits most closely related with fitness.

scholarly journals Reproductive traits and floral visitors of Aechmea distichantha plants growing in different habitats of a South American xerophytic forest

Rodriguésia ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
pp. 385-396 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodrigo M. Freire ◽  
Ignacio M. Barberis ◽  
José L. Vesprini
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Traits ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Similar Proportion ◽  
South American ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Carpenter Bee ◽  
Carpenter Bees ◽  
Vegetative Traits ◽  
Floral Visitors ◽  
Almost All

Abstract Aechmea distichantha, a widely-distributed facultative epiphytic bromeliad species, is present from rainforests to xerophytic forests. At its southernmost distribution (Humid Chaco) it grows in the understory and forest edges. This animal-pollinated bromeliad shows high phenotypic plasticity on its vegetative traits, but there is no information about plasticity on its reproductive traits. Infructescences from shade plants were heavier, had longer rachis, more spikelets, higher number of fruits/spikelet and higher number of seeds/fruit than those from sun plants, but they presented similar number of open flowers. The number of visitation events was similar in both habitats, but more flowers were visited in the sun than in the shade. Flowers were visited by seven species (six insects and one hummingbird). In the sun, the carpenter bee was the most frequent visitor and visited almost all flowers, whereas in the shade different species of visitors attained similar proportion of visits and number of visited flowers. Despite visitation events were similar in both habitats, plants growing in the shade set more seeds/fruit than plants growing in the sun. The higher proportion of visits accomplished by carpenter bees compared to hummingbirds is probably a consequence of the climatic conditions in the austral location of these populations.

scholarly journals Geography is more important than life history in the recent diversification of the tiger salamander complex

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (17) ◽  
pp. e2014719118
Author(s):  
Kathryn M. Everson ◽  
Levi N. Gray ◽  
Angela G. Jones ◽  
Nicolette M. Lawrence ◽  
Mary E. Foley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Gene Flow ◽  
Genetic Differentiation ◽  
Population Genetic ◽  
Tiger Salamander ◽  
Life History Variation ◽  
Mexican Axolotl ◽  
Population Genetic Differentiation ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Lineage Divergence

The North American tiger salamander species complex, including its best-known species, the Mexican axolotl, has long been a source of biological fascination. The complex exhibits a wide range of variation in developmental life history strategies, including populations and individuals that undergo metamorphosis; those able to forego metamorphosis and retain a larval, aquatic lifestyle (i.e., paedomorphosis); and those that do both. The evolution of a paedomorphic life history state is thought to lead to increased population genetic differentiation and ultimately reproductive isolation and speciation, but the degree to which it has shaped population- and species-level divergence is poorly understood. Using a large multilocus dataset from hundreds of samples across North America, we identified genetic clusters across the geographic range of the tiger salamander complex. These clusters often contain a mixture of paedomorphic and metamorphic taxa, indicating that geographic isolation has played a larger role in lineage divergence than paedomorphosis in this system. This conclusion is bolstered by geography-informed analyses indicating no effect of life history strategy on population genetic differentiation and by model-based population genetic analyses demonstrating gene flow between adjacent metamorphic and paedomorphic populations. This fine-scale genetic perspective on life history variation establishes a framework for understanding how plasticity, local adaptation, and gene flow contribute to lineage divergence. Many members of the tiger salamander complex are endangered, and the Mexican axolotl is an important model system in regenerative and biomedical research. Our results chart a course for more informed use of these taxa in experimental, ecological, and conservation research.

scholarly journals Spatial Structure and Genetic Variation of a Mangrove Species (Avicennia marina (Forssk.) Vierh) in the Farasan Archipelago

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 1287
Author(s):  
Rahmah N. Al-Qthanin ◽  
Samah A. Alharbi
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Genetic Differentiation ◽  
Species Conservation ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Avicennia Marina ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Isolated Populations ◽  
Mangrove Species ◽  
Population Genetic Differentiation ◽  
Sea Currents

Avicennia marina (Forssk.) Vierh is distributed in patches along the Farasan archipelago coast and is the most common mangrove species in the Red Sea. However, to date, no studies have been directed towards understanding its genetic variation in the Farasan archipelago. In this investigation, genetic variations within and among natural populations of Avicennia marina in the Farasan archipelago were studied using 15 microsatellite markers. The study found 142 alleles on 15 loci in nine populations. The observed (Ho) and expected (He) heterozygosity values were 0.351 and 0.391, respectively, which are much lower than those of earlier studies on A. marina in the Arabian Gulf. An inbreeding effect from self-pollination might explain its heterozygote deficiency. Population genetic differentiation (FST = 0.301) was similar to other mangrove species. Our findings suggest that the sea current direction and coastal geomorphology might affect genetic dispersal of A. marina. The more isolated populations with fewer connections by sea currents exhibited lower genetic variation and differentiation between populations. The genetic clustering of populations fell into three main groups—Group 1 (populations of Farasan Alkabir Island), Group 2 (populations of Sajid Island), and Group 3 (mix of one population of Farasan Alkabir Island and a population of Zifaf Island). More genetic variation and less genetic differentiation occurred when the population was not isolated and had a direct connection with sea currents. Both of these factors contributed to limited propagule dispersal and produced significant structures among the population. It is expected that the results of this research will be useful in determining policy and species-conservation strategies and in the rehabilitation of A. marina mangrove stands on the Farasan islands in an effort to save this significant natural resource.

scholarly journals Rapid and strong population genetic differentiation and genomic signatures of climatic adaptation in an invasive mealybug

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 610-622 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ling Ma ◽  
Li‐Jun Cao ◽  
Ary A. Hoffmann ◽  
Ya‐Jun Gong ◽  
Jin‐Cui Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Differentiation ◽  
Population Genetic ◽  
Climatic Adaptation ◽  
Population Genetic Differentiation ◽  
Genomic Signatures

scholarly journals Unraveling the Limits of Mitochondrial Control Region to Estimate the Fine Scale Population Genetic Differentiation in Anadromous FishTenualosa ilisha

Scientifica ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rashmi Verma ◽  
Mahender Singh ◽  
Sudhir Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Population Structure ◽  
Genetic Differentiation ◽  
Control Region ◽  
Population Genetic ◽  
Arabian Sea ◽  
Mitochondrial Control Region ◽  
Population Genetic Differentiation ◽  
First Choice ◽  
Scale Population ◽  
And Control

The mitochondrial control region has been the first choice for examining the population structure but hypervariability and homoplasy have reduced its suitability. We analysed eight populations using control region for examining the population structure ofHilsa. Although the control region analysis revealed broad structuring between the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal (FST  0.0441,p<0.001) it was unable to detect structure among riverine populations. These results suggest that the markers used must be able to distinguish populations and control region has led to an underestimation of genetic differentiation among populations ofHilsa.

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