Evidence that divergent selection shapes a developmental cline in a forest tree species complex.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

Evolutionary change in developmental trajectories (heterochrony) is a major mechanism of adaptation in plants and animals. However, there are few detailed studies of the variation in the timing of developmental events among wild populations. We here aimed to identify the climatic drivers and measure selection shaping a genetic-based developmental cline among populations of an endemic tree species complex on the island of Tasmania.

Methods

Seed lots from 38 native provenances encompassing the clinal transition from the heteroblastic Eucalyptus tenuiramis to the homoblastic Eucalyptus risdonii were grown in a common-garden field trial in southern Tasmania for 20 years. We used 27 climatic variables to model the provenance variation in vegetative juvenility

SUBMITTER: Costa E Silva J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6025196 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature