Empirical evidence of fixed and homeostatic patterns of polyploid advantage in a keystone grass exposed to drought and heat stress
A long-standing hypothesis in evolutionary biology is that polyploid plants have a fitness advantage over diploids in climatically variable or extreme habitats. Here we provide the first empirical evidence that polyploid advantage in these environments is caused by two distinct processes: homeostati...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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The Royal Society
2017-01-01
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| Series: | Royal Society Open Science |
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| Online Access: | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.170934 |
| _version_ | 1818329696347095040 |
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| author | Robert C. Godfree David J. Marshall Andrew G. Young Cathy H. Miller Sarah Mathews |
| author_facet | Robert C. Godfree David J. Marshall Andrew G. Young Cathy H. Miller Sarah Mathews |
| author_sort | Robert C. Godfree |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | A long-standing hypothesis in evolutionary biology is that polyploid plants have a fitness advantage over diploids in climatically variable or extreme habitats. Here we provide the first empirical evidence that polyploid advantage in these environments is caused by two distinct processes: homeostatic maintenance of reproductive output under elevated abiotic stress, and fixed differences in seed development. In an outdoor climate manipulation experiment using coastal to inland Australian populations of the perennial grass Themeda triandra Forssk., we found that total output of viable seed in drought- and heat-stressed tetraploid plants was over four times higher than in diploids, despite being equal under more favourable growing conditions. Tetraploids also consistently produced heavier seeds with longer hygroscopic awns, traits which increase propagule fitness in extreme environments. These differences add to fitness benefits associated with broader-scale local adaptation of inland T. triandra populations to drought stress. Our study provides evidence that nucleotypic effects of genome size and increased reproductive flexibility can jointly underlie polyploid advantage in plants in stressful environments, and argue that ploidy can be an important criterion for selecting plant populations for use in genetic rescue, restoration and revegetation projects, including in habitats affected by climate change. |
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| id | doaj.art-7d1d4c3e3d634fbda9162155be5a49d3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2054-5703 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T12:52:10Z |
| publishDate | 2017-01-01 |
| publisher | The Royal Society |
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| series | Royal Society Open Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-7d1d4c3e3d634fbda9162155be5a49d32022-12-21T23:45:17ZengThe Royal SocietyRoyal Society Open Science2054-57032017-01-0141110.1098/rsos.170934170934Empirical evidence of fixed and homeostatic patterns of polyploid advantage in a keystone grass exposed to drought and heat stressRobert C. GodfreeDavid J. MarshallAndrew G. YoungCathy H. MillerSarah MathewsA long-standing hypothesis in evolutionary biology is that polyploid plants have a fitness advantage over diploids in climatically variable or extreme habitats. Here we provide the first empirical evidence that polyploid advantage in these environments is caused by two distinct processes: homeostatic maintenance of reproductive output under elevated abiotic stress, and fixed differences in seed development. In an outdoor climate manipulation experiment using coastal to inland Australian populations of the perennial grass Themeda triandra Forssk., we found that total output of viable seed in drought- and heat-stressed tetraploid plants was over four times higher than in diploids, despite being equal under more favourable growing conditions. Tetraploids also consistently produced heavier seeds with longer hygroscopic awns, traits which increase propagule fitness in extreme environments. These differences add to fitness benefits associated with broader-scale local adaptation of inland T. triandra populations to drought stress. Our study provides evidence that nucleotypic effects of genome size and increased reproductive flexibility can jointly underlie polyploid advantage in plants in stressful environments, and argue that ploidy can be an important criterion for selecting plant populations for use in genetic rescue, restoration and revegetation projects, including in habitats affected by climate change.https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.170934polyploidyfitnessrestorationextreme eventhomeostasisclimate adaptation |
| spellingShingle | Robert C. Godfree David J. Marshall Andrew G. Young Cathy H. Miller Sarah Mathews Empirical evidence of fixed and homeostatic patterns of polyploid advantage in a keystone grass exposed to drought and heat stress Royal Society Open Science polyploidy fitness restoration extreme event homeostasis climate adaptation |
| title | Empirical evidence of fixed and homeostatic patterns of polyploid advantage in a keystone grass exposed to drought and heat stress |
| title_full | Empirical evidence of fixed and homeostatic patterns of polyploid advantage in a keystone grass exposed to drought and heat stress |
| title_fullStr | Empirical evidence of fixed and homeostatic patterns of polyploid advantage in a keystone grass exposed to drought and heat stress |
| title_full_unstemmed | Empirical evidence of fixed and homeostatic patterns of polyploid advantage in a keystone grass exposed to drought and heat stress |
| title_short | Empirical evidence of fixed and homeostatic patterns of polyploid advantage in a keystone grass exposed to drought and heat stress |
| title_sort | empirical evidence of fixed and homeostatic patterns of polyploid advantage in a keystone grass exposed to drought and heat stress |
| topic | polyploidy fitness restoration extreme event homeostasis climate adaptation |
| url | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.170934 |
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