Dissertation Research : Ecological Factors in Tetraploid Speciation

斯坦顿0105116与人类不同，植物物种通常有两套以上的染色体。 这些多倍体植物占所有植物物种的30%至70%，通常无法与具有两套染色体的二倍体个体交配，因此它们被认为是不同的物种。 当多倍体植物起源于二倍体祖先时，如果周围的植物干扰繁殖，它是如何成功的？ 一种可能是这两种植物对栖息地的要求不同。 如果是这样，它们的空间分离可能会防止生殖干扰。 本计画将探讨具16条或32条染色体的植物品种毛茛，其存活、生长及繁殖的需求是否不同。 在科罗拉多的落基山脉，不同染色体数目的种群在不同的地方生长。 该实验将监测在不同地点之间移植的幼苗的存活和生长。 如果加入另一种植物的花粉会减少产生的种子数量，那么生殖干扰就会被证明。了解产生和维持生物多样性的力量是生物学的基本目标之一。 多倍体物种形成是导致植物新物种产生的重要过程，但尚未得到很好的理解。 这项研究探讨了新的植物物种是如何起源的，因此试图了解植物多样性的主要来源。

Stanton0105116Unlike humans, plant species often have more than two sets of chromosomes. These polyploid plants, 30 to 70% of all plant species, are usually unable to mate with diploid individuals with two sets of chromosomes, and so they are considered different species. When a polyploid plant originates from diploid progenitors, how does it succeed, if the surrounding plants interfere with reproduction? One possibility is that the two types of plants have different habitat requirements. If so, their spatial separation may prevent reproductive interference. This project will examine whether the plant species, Ranunculus adoneus, with 16 or 32 chromosomes have different requirements for their survival, growth, and reproduction. Populations with different chromosome counts grow in separate places in the Colorado Rockies. This experiment will monitor survival and growth of seedlings transplanted between locations. Reproductive interference will be demonstrated if adding pollen from the other plant type reduces the number of seeds produced.Understanding the forces generating and maintaining biological diversity is one of the fundamental goals of biology. Polyploid speciation has been an important process leading to new plant species, but is not well understood. This study asks how new plant species originate, and so seeks to understand a major source of plant diversity.