Mechanisms and evolution of plant reproductive strategies

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A fundamental question faced by all organisms is when is the best time to reproduce to maximize survival and success of offspring. Despite their importance, how and why different strategies evolve are poorly understood. What are the genetic mechanisms underlying differences, and how do they interact with ecological processes that determine optimal strategies? This deficiency prevents us from predicting how climate change will affect phenological responses across the life cycle, and the ability for populations to respond and adapt. In flowering plants there are annuals that reproduce once and die, and perennials that cycle repeatedly through vegetative and reproductive phases. The transition between perennials and annuals is among the most frequent adaptive evolutionary shifts, and yet few studies have investigated its evolution. We will use the wildflower, Mimulus guttatus (seep monkeyflower) to investigate the ecological and genetic mechanisms underlying differences in life history. This species contains both types, and they are fully compatible, so we can look at recet evolution and use naturally occurring genetic variation to test the underlying mechanisms. A major unresolved question is how complex quantitative traits (like life histories) are maintained, and whether complex phenotypes are the result of a few major genes acting on many traits, or lots of independent genes. We will use a combination of field experiments, genomics and gene expression studies to identify the genetic architecture underlying annual and perennial traits and their fitness consequences. One of the most pressing questions of our time is if populations have the potential to shift their phenological responses and adapt to changing climates. Species with variable life histories offer the potential to test how timing transitions will affect fitness, and whether populations can respond via genetic variation or plasticity or neither. We will use field experiments and genomic sequencing of M. guttatus and its relative M. ringens to test hypotheses about the ability of species to adapt to climate change. Reproduction is the most fundamental aspect of success for any living organism, and in plants successful reproduction results from a combination of life history, pollination and mating. Despite this recognition, there have been few attempts to study their simultaneous evolution. We will test predictions about correlated evolution, with statistical comparative methods to investigate how traits have evolved across the Mimulus clade. Using a novel approach, we will test the evolution of sexual selection theory in plants, and make the missing link between post-pollination processes and the evolution of pollination and mating. The research will help answer questions at the forefront of biology and contribute to predicting species' responses to climate change. The research involves highly transferable modern skills, providing trainees with appropriate tools for their careers.