Aberrant clones: Birth order generates life history diversity in Greater Duckweed, Spirodela polyrhiza
Abstract Environmental unpredictability is known to result in the evolution of bet‐hedging traits. Variable dormancy enhances survival through harsh conditions, and is widely cited as a diversification bet‐hedging trait. The floating aquatic plant, Spirodela polyrhiza (Greater Duckweed), provides an...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2018-02-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.3822 |
| _version_ | 1818654875747090432 |
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| author | Hebah S. Mejbel Andrew M. Simons |
| author_facet | Hebah S. Mejbel Andrew M. Simons |
| author_sort | Hebah S. Mejbel |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Environmental unpredictability is known to result in the evolution of bet‐hedging traits. Variable dormancy enhances survival through harsh conditions, and is widely cited as a diversification bet‐hedging trait. The floating aquatic plant, Spirodela polyrhiza (Greater Duckweed), provides an opportunity to study diversification because although partially reliable seasonal cues exist, its growing season is subject to an unpredictable and literally “hard” termination when the surface water freezes, and overwinter survival depends on a switch from production of normal daughter fronds to production of dense, sinking “turions” prior to freeze‐over. The problem for S. polyrhiza is that diversified dormancy behavior must be generated among clonally produced, genetically identical offspring. Variation in phenology has been observed in the field, but its sources are unknown. Here, we investigate sources of phenological variation in turion production, and test the hypothesis that diversification in turion phenology is generated within genetic lineages through effects of parental birth order. As expected, phenotypic plasticity to temperature is expressed along a thermal gradient; more interestingly, parental birth order was found to have a significant and strong effect on turion phenology: Turions are produced earlier by late birth‐order parents. These results hold regardless of whether turion phenology is measured as first turion birth order, time to first turion, or turion frequency. This study addresses a question of current interest on potential mechanisms generating diversification, and suggests that consistent phenotypic differences across birth orders generate life history variation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T03:00:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-eece8f125af34f4f9d6c479aad28c879 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T03:00:45Z |
| publishDate | 2018-02-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-eece8f125af34f4f9d6c479aad28c8792022-12-21T22:06:06ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582018-02-01842021203110.1002/ece3.3822Aberrant clones: Birth order generates life history diversity in Greater Duckweed, Spirodela polyrhizaHebah S. Mejbel0Andrew M. Simons1Department of Biology Carleton University Ottawa ON CanadaDepartment of Biology Carleton University Ottawa ON CanadaAbstract Environmental unpredictability is known to result in the evolution of bet‐hedging traits. Variable dormancy enhances survival through harsh conditions, and is widely cited as a diversification bet‐hedging trait. The floating aquatic plant, Spirodela polyrhiza (Greater Duckweed), provides an opportunity to study diversification because although partially reliable seasonal cues exist, its growing season is subject to an unpredictable and literally “hard” termination when the surface water freezes, and overwinter survival depends on a switch from production of normal daughter fronds to production of dense, sinking “turions” prior to freeze‐over. The problem for S. polyrhiza is that diversified dormancy behavior must be generated among clonally produced, genetically identical offspring. Variation in phenology has been observed in the field, but its sources are unknown. Here, we investigate sources of phenological variation in turion production, and test the hypothesis that diversification in turion phenology is generated within genetic lineages through effects of parental birth order. As expected, phenotypic plasticity to temperature is expressed along a thermal gradient; more interestingly, parental birth order was found to have a significant and strong effect on turion phenology: Turions are produced earlier by late birth‐order parents. These results hold regardless of whether turion phenology is measured as first turion birth order, time to first turion, or turion frequency. This study addresses a question of current interest on potential mechanisms generating diversification, and suggests that consistent phenotypic differences across birth orders generate life history variation.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.3822bet hedgingbirth orderdiversificationdormancyphenotypic plasticitySpirodela polyrhiza |
| spellingShingle | Hebah S. Mejbel Andrew M. Simons Aberrant clones: Birth order generates life history diversity in Greater Duckweed, Spirodela polyrhiza Ecology and Evolution bet hedging birth order diversification dormancy phenotypic plasticity Spirodela polyrhiza |
| title | Aberrant clones: Birth order generates life history diversity in Greater Duckweed, Spirodela polyrhiza |
| title_full | Aberrant clones: Birth order generates life history diversity in Greater Duckweed, Spirodela polyrhiza |
| title_fullStr | Aberrant clones: Birth order generates life history diversity in Greater Duckweed, Spirodela polyrhiza |
| title_full_unstemmed | Aberrant clones: Birth order generates life history diversity in Greater Duckweed, Spirodela polyrhiza |
| title_short | Aberrant clones: Birth order generates life history diversity in Greater Duckweed, Spirodela polyrhiza |
| title_sort | aberrant clones birth order generates life history diversity in greater duckweed spirodela polyrhiza |
| topic | bet hedging birth order diversification dormancy phenotypic plasticity Spirodela polyrhiza |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.3822 |
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