ABR: Selection on Corolla Size By Flower Enemies--Impact on Male Fitness

0087412Galen这个项目致力于维持与生物体适应性相关的特征的遗传变异。在开花植物中，花的大小是这类植物的一个重要特征。传粉者通常喜欢开大花的植物。然而，在几乎所有已被研究的物种中，小花的基因仍然存在。目前研究中描述的实验将测试小花植物是否在自然界中持续存在，因为它们的花对捕食者来说更加神秘。特别是，这项研究将测试逃避昆虫捕食是否会提高小花个体的花粉捐赠成功。研究将集中在一个研究野生花卉进化的模式系统上，高山野花Polemonium Viglium。高山生物被认为是气候变化生物影响的早期预警系统。通过监测昆虫对一种常见高山野花的捕食强度，该项目提供了有关高山环境中昆虫对植物损害的严重程度的数据。这一发现也对优化草莓、苹果和棉花等昆虫授粉作物的果实和种子产量具有重要意义。由于花卉捕食者的反应，旨在最大限度地吸引这些作物传粉者的育种计划可能会无意中对水果生产产生负面影响。

0087412GalenThis project addresses the maintenance of genetically based variation in characteristics related to an organism's fitness. In flowering plants, flower size represents an important trait of this kind. Pollinators typically favor plants with large flowers. Yet in nearly all species that have been studied, genes for small flowers persist. The experiments described in the present study will test whether small-flowered plants persist in nature because their flowers are more cryptic to predators. In particular, the research will test whether escape from insect predation enhances the pollen donation success of small-flowered individuals. Research will focus on a model system for studying floral evolution in the wild, the alpine wildflower Polemonium viscosum. Alpine organisms are considered early warning systems for biotic effects of climate change. By monitoring the intensity of insect predation on flowers of a common alpine wildflower, this project provides data on the severity of insect damage to plants in alpine environments. Findings also have implications for optimizing fruit and seed yield in insect-pollinated crop species including strawberries, apples and cotton. Breeding programs aimed at maximizing pollinator attraction in these crops may have inadvertent negative effects on fruit production due to responses of flower predators.