A5024130880- Plant and animal studies
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Plant Reproductive Biology
- Genetic diversity and population structure
- Plant Parasitism and Resistance
- Plant Molecular Biology Research
- Genetic Mapping and Diversity in Plants and Animals
- Botany, Ecology, and Taxonomy Studies
- Photosynthetic Processes and Mechanisms
- Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
- Plant Diversity and Evolution
- Seed Germination and Physiology
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Chromosomal and Genetic Variations
- Evolution and Genetic Dynamics
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Aeolian processes and effects
- Leaf Properties and Growth Measurement
- Physiological and biochemical adaptations
- Plant Pathogens and Resistance
- RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms
- Plant Taxonomy and Phylogenetics
- Microbial Metabolic Engineering and Bioproduction
- Forest ecology and management
- Plant biochemistry and biosynthesis
Queen's University
2019-2025
Syracuse University
2013-2022
Duke University
2011-2013
University of Toronto
2004-2011
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
2008
University of Calgary
2002-2005
Organisms exhibit an incredible diversity of life history strategies as adaptive responses to environmental variation. The establishment novel involves multilocus polymorphisms, which will be challenging establish in the face gene flow and recombination. Theory predicts that allelic combinations may maintained spread if they occur genomic regions reduced recombination, such chromosomal inversion yet empirical support for this prediction is lacking. Here, we use data investigate evolution...
Flowering plants exhibit two principal life-history strategies: annuality (living and reproducing in one year) perenniality more than year). The advantages of either strategy depend on the relative benefits immediate reproduction balanced against survivorship future reproduction. This trade-off means that strategies are associated with particular environments, annuals being found often unpredictable habitats. Annuality outcome developmental genetic programs responding to their environment,...
Wind pollination is predominantly a derived condition in angiosperms and thought to evolve response ecological conditions that render animal less advantageous. However, the specific evolutionary mechanisms responsible for transitions from wind are poorly understood comparison with other major reproductive angiosperms, including evolution of selfing outcrossing dioecy hermaphroditism. To investigate correlations between range characters habitat type, sexual system, floral display size,...
One of the most fundamental questions faced by all organisms is when best time to reproduce maximize survival and success their offspring. In plants, there are two broad categories reproductive strategies—annuals that once die (monocarpic or semelparous) perennials repeatedly cycle through vegetative phases (used here synonymously with polycarpic iteroparous) (Fig. 1). Not surprisingly, given importance reproduction fitness, studies on flowering related life history decisions have been...
The proximity of mates can influence mating opportunities and the quantity quality offspring, especially in dioecious plant species. Progeny sex ratios modulated by environmental conditions is one most radical ways which offspring may be influenced, yet it has rarely been reported plants. A mechanism proposed to progeny plants involves competition between female- male-determining microgametophytes (certation) as a result variation pollination intensity. However, role selective fertilization...
Background and AimsVariation in mating patterns may be particularly evident colonizing species because they commonly experience wide variation plant density. Here, the role of density for system Ambrosia artemisiifolia (common ragweed), a wind-pollinated annual previously reported as self-compatible, is explored.
Differential natural selection acting on populations in contrasting environments often results adaptive divergence multivariate phenotypes. Multivariate trait across could be caused by pleiotropic alleles or through many independent loci with trait-specific effects. Here, we assess patterns of association between a suite traits contributing to life history the common monkey flower, Mimulus guttatus, and examine genetic architecture underlying these correlations. A garden survey 74...
Abstract Plant species rarely exhibit both monoecious and dioecious sexual systems. This limits opportunities to investigate the consequences of combined versus separate sex function on mating patterns genetic variation analysis factors responsible for evolution maintenance two Populations North American clonal aquatic Sagittaria latifolia are usually either or often grow in close geographic proximity. We investigated patterns, structure, relationships between systems using allozyme...
Summary Species with extensive ranges experience highly variable environments respect to temperature, light and soil moisture. Synchronizing the transition from vegetative floral growth is important employ favorable conditions for reproduction. Optimal timing of this might be different semelparous annual plants iteroparous perennial plants. We studied variation in critical photoperiod necessary induction requirement a period cold‐chilling (vernalization) 46 populations annuals perennials M...
Abstract Imperfect historical records and complex demographic histories present challenges for reconstructing the history of biological invasions. Here, we combine records, extensive worldwide genome-wide sampling, analyses to investigate global invasion Mimulus guttatus from North America Europe Southwest Pacific. By sampling 521 plants 158 native introduced populations genotyped at >44,000 loci, determined that invasive M. was first likely British Isles Aleutian Islands (Alaska),...
The composition of a plant’s neighbourhood shapes its competitive interactions. Neighbours may be related individuals due to limited seed dispersal or clonal growth, so that the ability recognize and respond presence kin is beneficial. Here, we ask whether plants plastically adjust their floral allocation in response neighbour’s identity. In species reproduces both sexually clonally, test following predictions neighbouring kin: (i) reduction display will occur minimize costly structures...
• Monoecy and protogyny are widespread in wind-pollinated plants have been interpreted as outcrossing mechanisms, though few studies investigated their function. Carex, a large genus of anemophilous herbs, is predominantly monoecious many species protogynous. We whether monoecy limit self-pollination seven Carex species. conducted field experiments comparing stigmatic pollen loads seed set between intact emasculated stems. tested for self-compatibility evaluated limitation by supplemental...
In angiosperms, ovules are "packaged" within individual flowers, and an optimal strategy should occur depending on pollination resource conditions. animal-pollinated species, wide variation in ovule number per flower occurs, this contrasts with wind-pollinated plants, where most species possess uniovulate flowers. This pattern is usually explained as adaptive response to low pollen receipt species. Here, we develop a phenotypic model for the evolution of that incorporates aerodynamics...
Polyploidy is a significant component in the evolution of many taxa, particularly plant groups. However, new polyploids face substantial fitness disadvantages due to lack same-cytotype mates, and factors promoting or preventing polyploid establishment natural populations are often unclear. We develop spatially explicit agent-based simulation models test hypothesis that perennial life history clonal propagation facilitate early stages persistence. Our show more likely establish when they have...
Summary Inflorescence architecture and floral morphology vary extensively within the Poaceae, but functional significance of this variation remains largely unknown. As grasses are wind‐pollinated, their inflorescence diversity probably reflects alternate solutions to manipulating airstreams enhance pollen export import. We tested hypothesis with two field experiments that contrasted removal receipt by compact diffuse inflorescences. In ‘aggregation’ experiment, we tied together panicle...
Evolutionary biology is in an exciting era, which powerful genomic tools make the answers accessible to long-standing questions about variation, adaptation and speciation. The availability of a suite resources, shared knowledge base long history study have made phenotypically diverse plant genus Mimulus important system for understanding ecological evolutionary processes. An international Research Meeting was held at Duke University June 2014 discuss developments genetic studies Mimulus....
In hermaphrodites, the allocation of resources to each sex function can influence fitness through mating success. A prediction that arises from theory is in wind‐pollinated plants, male should increase linearly with investment into but there have been few empirical tests this prediction. a field experiment, we experimentally manipulated Ambrosia artemisiifolia (common ragweed) and measured success contrasting phenotypes using genetic markers. We investigated effects morphological traits...
Sex allocation in hermaphrodites can be affected by spatial and temporal variation resources, especially plants where size‐dependent gender modification is commonplace. The evolution of sex will depend on the relative importance genetic environmental factors governing patterns investment female male function. In wind‐pollinated plants, theoretical models predict a positive relation between size because fitness advantages associated with more effective pollen dispersal. Theory also predicts...
The aerodynamics of wind pollination selects for an intimate relation between form and function in anemophilous plants. Inflorescence architecture floral morphology vary extensively within the Poaceae, but functional implication this variation remains largely unknown. Here we quantify associations floret, culm, inflorescence characteristics 25 grass species Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada, consider whether different architectures may implement unique mechanisms to aid pollination. cluster into...
Color polymorphisms have long been of evolutionary interest for their diverse roles, including mate choice, predator avoidance, and pollinator attraction. While color variation is often under strong selection, some taxa demonstrate unexpectedly high frequencies presumed deleterious forms. Here we show that a genetic variant underlying complete loss anthocyanin pigmentation has risen to an frequency >0.2 in natural population the plant Mimulus guttatus. Decreased expression MYB5 transcription...
Premise of the Study The timing major phenological transitions is critical to lifetime fitness, and life history theory predicts differences for annual perennial plants. To correctly time these transitions, many plants rely on environmental cues such as exposure extended periods cold, which may occur at different stages throughout their lifetime. Methods We studied role cold stages, by jointly exposing seed (stratification) rosettes (vernalization) cold. used 23 populations Mimulus guttatus...