Intricate Distribution Patterns of Six Cytotypes of Allium oleraceum at a Continental Scale: Niche Expansion and Innovation Followed by Niche Contraction With Increasing Ploidy Level.

ABSTRACT: The establishment and success of polyploids are thought to often be facilitated by ecological niche differentiation from diploids. Unfortunately, most studies compared diploids and polyploids, ignoring variation in ploidy level in polyploids. To fill this gap, we performed a large-scale study of 11,163 samples from 1,283 populations of the polyploid perennial geophyte Allium oleraceum with reported mixed-ploidy populations, revealed distribution ranges of cytotypes, assessed their niches and explored the pattern of niche change with increasing ploidy level. Altogether, six ploidy levels (3x-8x) were identified. The most common were pentaploids (53.6%) followed by hexaploids (22.7%) and tetraploids (21.6%). Higher cytotype diversity was found at lower latitudes than at

SUBMITTER: Duchoslav M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7755979 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature