Modularity and mating: the evolution and ecology of plant reproductive strategies

就生物量而言，模块化生物（如植物、真菌、藻类）在地球上占主导地位，但我们对它们的生态学和进化的理解远远落后于单一的多细胞生物（如大多数动物）。这里提出的研究将包括开发模块化生物体的性适应性新模型，并通过对自然种群的控制实验和研究来测试我们之前建模工作的预测。******模块化与交配陆地生态系统以长寿命植物为主，大部分植物具有一定的克隆生长能力。然而，克隆对性适应性的影响却知之甚少。这里提出的研究包括对我们以前开发的模型进行明确的测试，以阐明克隆对性适应性的影响。我将训练HQP进行这些测试，通过测量交配成功率作为自然、实验和模拟种群中克隆的大小和空间排列的函数。******模块化生物的性选择性选择是有性生殖生物的一个普遍特征，但在将这一概念应用于植物方面进展甚微。实验室开发的一种新方法有可能改变植物自然种群（以及大多数模块化生物）的性选择研究，但它尚未经过彻底的测试。拟议的研究将涉及在自然种群和实验种群中进行这些测试。支持我们的措施将为研究植物的性选择提供新的机会，并使我们能够与单一动物进行比较，因为我们有强有力的证据证明这种选择具有深远的影响。******模块化、生活史和生殖系统的进化生殖策略影响基因传播、人口统计学和进化多样化的净速率。因此，了解繁殖策略的进化是解决达尔文的“可恶之谜”——开花植物的快速多样化的关键。以前，过于简单的性别进化模型得出的预测与我们之前的经验结果不相符。为了解决这个问题，我们将开发进化稳定的策略模型，其中包括更现实的模块化生物生活史权衡假设，并通过实验测试模型预测来检查这些权衡对分离性别进化的影响。******影响忽视模块化和迭代生长阻碍了理解主导陆地生态系统的生物（开花植物）的生态学和进化。我实验室的主要研究重点是通过建模和实验来纠正这种情况。这些努力为进一步研究提供了丰富的新方向，并为加拿大STEM职业的高水平学生培训提供了成功的记录。

Modular organisms (e.g. plants, fungi, algae) dominate the planet in terms of biomass but our understanding of their ecology and evolution lags far behind that of unitary, multicellular organisms (e.g. most animals). The research proposed here will include the development of new models of sexual fitness in modular organisms and test predictions from our previous modelling efforts using controlled experiments and studies of natural populations. ******Modularity and mating Terrestrial ecosystems are dominated by long-lived plants, most of which possess some capacity for clonal growth. However, the effects of clonality on sexual fitness are poorly understood. The research proposed here involves definitive tests of our previous models developed to clarify the effects of clonality on sexual fitness. I will train HQP to conduct these tests by measuring mating success as functions of the size and spatial arrangement of clones in natural, experimental, and simulated populations. ******Sexual selection in modular organisms Sexual selection is a widespread feature of sexually reproducing organisms but there has been little progress in applying the concept to plants. A new method developed in the lab has the potential to transform the study of sexual selection in natural populations of plants (and most modular organisms) but it has yet to be thoroughly tested. The proposed research will involve conducting these tests in natural and experimental populations. Support for our measure would open new opportunities for studying sexual selection in plants and enable comparisons with unitary animals for which we have strong evidence for far-reaching effects.******Modularity, life-history, and the evolution of reproductive systems Reproductive strategies influence gene transmission, population demography, and net rates of evolutionary diversification. Understanding the evolution of reproductive strategies is therefore key to solving Darwin's "abominable mystery" - the rapid diversification of the flowering plants. Previous, over-simple models for the evolution of separate sexes yielded predictions that do not fit with our previous empirical results. To resolve this we will develop evolutionary-stable strategy models that include more realistic assumptions of life-history trade-offs in modular organisms and experimentally test model predictions to examine the consequences of these trade-offs for the evolution of separate sexes.******Impact Ignoring modularity and iterative growth has impeded progress in understanding the ecology and evolution of the organisms that dominate terrestrial ecosystems the flowering plants. The major focus of research in my lab has been to rectify this using modelling and experimentation. These efforts have provided a wealth of new directions for further studies and a successful track record of high-level student training for STEM careers in Canada.