Evolutionary dynamics of mating system shifts in Arabidopsis lyrata
Willi Y and Maattanen K. 2010. Evolutionary dynamics of mating system shifts in Arabidopsis lyrata. Journal of Evolutionary Biology. :212-2131
Outcrossing is the prevalent mode of reproduction in plants and animalsdespite its substantial costs, while selfing and mixed mating occur at muchlower frequency. Comparative research on plants has demonstrated thelability of self-incompatibility, but there is little information about thetransition on a within-species level from self-incompatibility to predominantselfing. We studied variation in mating system among 18 populations ofArabidopsis lyrata within a phylogenetic context to shed light on the evolutionof selfing. Realized and potential mating systems were assessed by geneticanalysis with microsatellite markers and hand-self-pollinations on 30 plantsfrom each population. The fraction of self-incompatible plants in a populationwas highly correlated with the outcrossing rate, showing that the spread ofself-compatibility is accompanied by or soon followed by an increase in therate of selfing. The four predominantly selfing populations (outcrossing rates< 0.25) fell into more than one phylogenetic cluster, suggesting that thetransition to selfing occurred more than once independently. Hence, A. lyrataoffers an opportunity for the comparative analysis of outcrossing as apredominant mode of reproduction in plants and of the causes of the shiftto selfing.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Willi, Yvonne; Maattanen, Kristi
- Units
- APIS , ISRO , PIRO
- Keywords
- Brassicaceae, outcrossing rate, population genetic structure, realized plant mating system, self-compatibility, self-fertilization, self-incompatibility system, selfing