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Reproductive isolation of sympatric forms of the understorey palm Geonoma macrostachys in western Amazonia

Borchsenius, Finn ; Lozada, Tannya and Knudsen, Jette T. LU (2016) In Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 182(2). p.398-410
Abstract

The evolution of a mechanism for attaining reproductive isolation between two diverging populations is a key step in the speciation process. We studied phenotypic variation, genetic differentiation, spatial distribution and reproductive ecology in two sympatric forms of the understorey palm Geonoma macrostachys in lowland tropical rainforest in Amazonian Ecuador. The two forms were morphologically and genetically distinct and differed in habitat preference, with one form being confined to moist flood plain habitats and the other occurring in terra firme and flood plain. Pollen transfer between the two forms was limited, but not totally prevented, by differences in flowering time, with flowers of the small form opening 2–3 h earlier than... (More)

The evolution of a mechanism for attaining reproductive isolation between two diverging populations is a key step in the speciation process. We studied phenotypic variation, genetic differentiation, spatial distribution and reproductive ecology in two sympatric forms of the understorey palm Geonoma macrostachys in lowland tropical rainforest in Amazonian Ecuador. The two forms were morphologically and genetically distinct and differed in habitat preference, with one form being confined to moist flood plain habitats and the other occurring in terra firme and flood plain. Pollen transfer between the two forms was limited, but not totally prevented, by differences in flowering time, with flowers of the small form opening 2–3 h earlier than those of the large form. Differences in floral scent probably reduce the number of shared pollinators. A crossing experiment showed that pistillate flowers of either form produced fruit with pollen from the other form. We conclude that flowering biology may be a key factor in causing reproductive isolation between these closely related sympatric taxa.

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organization
publishing date
type
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publication status
published
subject
keywords
AFLP, Arecaceae, floral scent, habitat partitioning, pollination, sympatric speciation
in
Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society
volume
182
issue
2
pages
13 pages
publisher
Oxford University Press
external identifiers
  • wos:000385748500015
  • scopus:84969974163
ISSN
0024-4074
DOI
10.1111/boj.12428
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
71eb7a3a-f39d-4024-a0d8-19a292c43789
date added to LUP
2016-10-17 09:45:19
date last changed
2024-06-01 17:51:55
@article{71eb7a3a-f39d-4024-a0d8-19a292c43789,
  abstract     = {{<p>The evolution of a mechanism for attaining reproductive isolation between two diverging populations is a key step in the speciation process. We studied phenotypic variation, genetic differentiation, spatial distribution and reproductive ecology in two sympatric forms of the understorey palm Geonoma macrostachys in lowland tropical rainforest in Amazonian Ecuador. The two forms were morphologically and genetically distinct and differed in habitat preference, with one form being confined to moist flood plain habitats and the other occurring in terra firme and flood plain. Pollen transfer between the two forms was limited, but not totally prevented, by differences in flowering time, with flowers of the small form opening 2–3 h earlier than those of the large form. Differences in floral scent probably reduce the number of shared pollinators. A crossing experiment showed that pistillate flowers of either form produced fruit with pollen from the other form. We conclude that flowering biology may be a key factor in causing reproductive isolation between these closely related sympatric taxa.</p>}},
  author       = {{Borchsenius, Finn and Lozada, Tannya and Knudsen, Jette T.}},
  issn         = {{0024-4074}},
  keywords     = {{AFLP; Arecaceae; floral scent; habitat partitioning; pollination; sympatric speciation}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{10}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{398--410}},
  publisher    = {{Oxford University Press}},
  series       = {{Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society}},
  title        = {{Reproductive isolation of sympatric forms of the understorey palm Geonoma macrostachys in western Amazonia}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/boj.12428}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/boj.12428}},
  volume       = {{182}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}