Thorn-Like Prickles and Heterophylly in \u3cem\u3eCyanea\u3c/em\u3e: Adaptations to Extinct Avian Browsers on Hawaii?

The evolution of thorn-like structures in plants on oceanic islands that lack mammalian and reptilian herbivores is puzzling, as is their tendency toward juvenile-adult leaf dimorphism. We propose that these traits arose in Cyanea (Campanul) on Hawaii as mechanical and visual defenses against herbivory by flightless geese and goose-like ducks that were extirpated by Polynesians within the last 1600 years. A chloroplast DNA phylogeny indicates that thorn-like prickles evolved at least four times and leaf dimorphism at least three times during the last 3.7 million years. The incidence of both traits increases from Oahu eastward toward younger islands, paralleling the distribution of avian species apparently adapted for browsing. The effectiveness of visual defenses against avian browsers (once dominant on many oceanic islands, based on the vagility of their ancestors) may provide a general explanation for insular heterophylly: the other islands on which this previously unexplained phenomenon is marked (New Zealand, New Caledonia, Madagascar, Mascarene Islands) are exactly those on which one or more large flightless avian browsers evolved

Examining the support–supply and bud‐packing hypotheses for the increase in toothed leaf margins in northern deciduous floras

Premise The proportion of woody dicots with toothed leaves increases toward colder regions, a relationship used to reconstruct past mean annual temperatures. Recent hypotheses explaining this relationship are that (1) leaves in colder regions are thinner, requiring thick veins for support and water supply, with the resulting craspedodromous venation leading to marginal teeth (support–supply hypothesis) or that (2) teeth are associated with the packing of leaf primordia in winter buds (bud‐packing hypothesis). Methods We addressed these hypotheses by examining leaf thickness, number of primordia in buds, growing season length (mean annual temperature, MAT), and other traits in 151 deciduous woody species using georeferenced occurrences and a Bayesian model controlling for phylogeny. We excluded evergreen species because longer leaf life spans correlate with higher leaf mass per area, precluding the detection of independent effects of leaf thickness on leaf‐margin type. Results The best model predicted toothed leaves with 94% accuracy, with growing season length the strongest predictor. Neither leaf thickness nor number of leaves preformed in buds significantly influenced margin type, rejecting the support–supply and bud‐packing hypotheses. Conclusions A direct selective benefit of leaf teeth via a carbon gain early in the spring as proposed by Royer and Wilf (2006) would match the strong correlation between toothed species occurrence and short growing season found here using Bayesian hierarchical models. Efforts should be directed to physiological work quantifying seasonal photosynthate production in toothed and nontoothed leaves

Monocot plastid phylogenomics, timeline, net rates of species diversification, the power of multiâ gene analyses, and a functional model for the origin of monocots

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146610/1/ajb21178-sup-0009-AppendixS9.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146610/2/ajb21178-sup-0020-AppendixS20.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146610/3/ajb21178.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146610/4/ajb21178-sup-0019-AppendixS19.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146610/5/ajb21178-sup-0010-AppendixS10.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146610/6/ajb21178-sup-0002-AppendixS2.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146610/7/ajb21178-sup-0006-AppendixS6.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146610/8/ajb21178-sup-0012-AppendixS12.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146610/9/ajb21178-sup-0017-AppendixS17.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146610/10/ajb21178-sup-0007-AppendixS7.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146610/11/ajb21178-sup-0001-AppendixS1.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146610/12/ajb21178-sup-0003-AppendixS3.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146610/13/ajb21178-sup-0016-AppendixS16.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146610/14/ajb21178_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146610/15/ajb21178-sup-0008-AppendixS8.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146610/16/ajb21178-sup-0004-AppendixS4.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146610/17/ajb21178-sup-0018-AppendixS18.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146610/18/ajb21178-sup-0014-AppendixS14.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146610/19/ajb21178-sup-0011-AppendixS11.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146610/20/ajb21178-sup-0005-AppendixS5.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146610/21/ajb21178-sup-0015-AppendixS15.pd

Is analysing the nitrogen use at the plant canopy level a matter of choosing the right optimization criterion?

Optimization theory in combination with canopy modeling is potentially a powerful tool for evaluating the adaptive significance of photosynthesis-related plant traits. Yet its successful application has been hampered by a lack of agreement on the appropriate optimization criterion. Here we review how models based on different types of optimization criteria have been used to analyze traits—particularly N reallocation and leaf area indices—that determine photosynthetic nitrogen-use efficiency at the canopy level. By far the most commonly used approach is static-plant simple optimization (SSO). Static-plant simple optimization makes two assumptions: (1) plant traits are considered to be optimal when they maximize whole-stand daily photosynthesis, ignoring competitive interactions between individuals; (2) it assumes static plants, ignoring canopy dynamics (production and loss of leaves, and the reallocation and uptake of nitrogen) and the respiration of nonphotosynthetic tissue. Recent studies have addressed either the former problem through the application of evolutionary game theory (EGT) or the latter by applying dynamic-plant simple optimization (DSO), and have made considerable progress in our understanding of plant photosynthetic traits. However, we argue that future model studies should focus on combining these two approaches. We also point out that field observations can fit predictions from two models based on very different optimization criteria. In order to enhance our understanding of the adaptive significance of photosynthesis-related plant traits, there is thus an urgent need for experiments that test underlying optimization criteria and competing hypotheses about underlying mechanisms of optimization

Multigene Analyses of Monocot Relationships

We present an analysis of supra-familial relationships of monocots based on a combined matrix of nuclear I8S and partial 26S rDNA, plastid atpB, matK, ndhF, and rbcL, and mitochondrial atp1 DNA sequences. Results are highly congruent with previous analyses and provide higher bootstrap support for nearly all relationships than in previously published analyses. Important changes to the results of previous work are a well-supported position of Petrosaviaceae as sister to all monocots above Acorales and Alismatales and much higher support for the commelinid clade. For the first time, the spine of the monocot tree has some bootstrap support, although support for paraphyly of liliids is still only low to moderate (79-82%). Dioscoreales and Pandanales are sister taxa (moderately supported, 87- 92%), and Asparagales are weakly supported (79%) as sister to the commelinids. Analysis of just the four plastid genes reveals that addition of data from the other two genomes contributes to generally better support for most clades, particularly along the spine. A new collection reveals that previous material of Petermannia was misidentified, and now Petermanniaceae should no longer be considered a synonym of Colchicaceae. Arachnitis (Corsiaceae) falls into Liliales, but its exact position is not well supported. Sciaphila (Triuridaceae) falls with Pandanales. Trithuria (Hydatellaceae) falls in Poales near Eriocaulaceae, Mayacaceae, and Xyridaceae, but until a complete set of genes are produced for this taxon, its placement will remain problematic. Within the commelinid clade, Dasypogonaceae are sister to Poales and Arecales sister to the rest of the commelinids, but these relationships are only weakly supported

Multiple ITS Copies Reveal Extensive Hybridization within Rheum (Polygonaceae), a Genus That Has Undergone Rapid Radiation

During adaptive radiation events, characters can arise multiple times due to parallel evolution, but transfer of traits through hybridization provides an alternative explanation for the same character appearing in apparently non-sister lineages. The signature of hybridization can be detected in incongruence between phylogenies derived from different markers, or from the presence of two divergent versions of a nuclear marker such as ITS within one individual.In this study, we cloned and sequenced ITS regions for 30 species of the genus Rheum, and compared them with a cpDNA phylogeny. Seven species contained two divergent copies of ITS that resolved in different clades from one another in each case, indicating hybridization events too recent for concerted evolution to have homogenised the ITS sequences. Hybridization was also indicated in at least two further species via incongruence in their position between ITS and cpDNA phylogenies. None of the ITS sequences present in these nine species matched those detected in any other species, which provides tentative evidence against recent introgression as an explanation. Rheum globulosum, previously indicated by cpDNA to represent an independent origin of decumbent habit, is indicated by ITS to be part of clade of decumbent species, which acquired cpDNA of another clade via hybridization. However decumbent and glasshouse morphology are confirmed to have arisen three and two times, respectively.These findings suggested that hybridization among QTP species of Rheum has been extensive, and that a role of hybridization in diversification of Rheum requires investigation

Do differences in understory light contribute to species distributions along a tropical rainfall gradient?

In tropical forests, regional differences in annual rainfall correlate with differences in plant species composition. Although water availability is clearly one factor determining species distribution, other environmental variables that covary with rainfall may contribute to distributions. One such variable is light availability in the understory, which decreases towards wetter forests due to differences in canopy density and phenology. We established common garden experiments in three sites along a rainfall gradient across the Isthmus of Panama in order to measure the differences in understory light availability, and to evaluate their influence on the performance of 24 shade-tolerant species with contrasting distributions. Within sites, the effect of understory light availability on species performance depended strongly on water availability. When water was not limiting, either naturally in the wetter site or through water supplementation in drier sites, seedling performance improved at higher light. In contrast, when water was limiting at the drier sites, seedling performance was reduced at higher light, presumably due to an increase in water stress that affected mostly wet-distribution species. Although wetter forest understories were on average darker, wet-distribution species were not more shade-tolerant than dry-distribution species. Instead, wet-distribution species had higher absolute growth rates and, when water was not limiting, were better able to take advantage of small increases in light than dry-distribution species. Our results suggest that in wet forests the ability to grow fast during temporary increases in light may be a key trait for successful recruitment. The slower growth rates of the dry-distribution species, possibly due to trade-offs associated with greater drought tolerance, may exclude these species from wetter forests

Microgeographical, inter-individual, and intra-individual variation in the flower characters of Iberian pear Pyrus bourgaeana (Rosaceae)

Flower characteristics have been traditionally considered relatively constant within species. However, there are an increasing number of examples of variation in flower characteristics. In this study, we examined the variation in attracting and rewarding flower characters at several ecological levels in a metapopulation of Pyrus bourgaeana in the Doñana area (SW Spain). We answered the following questions: what are the variances of morphological and nectar characters of flowers? How important are intra-individual and inter-individual variance in flower characters? Are there microgeographical differences in flower characters? And if so, are they consistent between years? In 2008 and 2009, we sampled flowers of 72 trees from five localities. For six flower morphological and two nectar characteristics, we calculated coefficients of variation (CV). The partitioning of total variation among-localities, among-individuals, and within-individuals was estimated. To analyze differences among localities and their consistency between years, we conducted generalized linear mixed models. The CVs of nectar characters were always higher than those of morphological characters. As expected, inter-individual variation was the main source of variation of flower morphology, but nectar characters had significant variation at both intra- and inter-individual levels. For most floral traits, there were no differences among localities. Our study documents that variation is a scale-dependent phenomenon and that it is essential to consider intra- and inter-individual variance when investigating the causes and consequences of variation. It also shows that single year studies of floral characters should be viewed with caution