Cryptic diploid lineage of Betula ermanii at its southern boundary populations in Japan.

ABSTRACT: Polyploidy is thought to enable species diversification and adaptation to extreme environments. Resolving the ecological differences between a taxon's ploidy levels would therefore provide important insights into local adaptation and speciation. The genus Betula includes many polyploids, but estimates of their phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary history are uncertain because of cryptic lineages and species. As one of the southern boundary populations of Betula ermanii in Japan has been shown to have distinctive genetic characteristics and traits, the differences in ploidy levels between three southern boundary and various other Japanese B. ermanii populations were investigated using flow cytometry. Leaf and seed morphologies were also compared. Apart from individuals in southern bo

SUBMITTER: Aihara T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11257223 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature