Patterns of phenotypic correlations among morphological traits across plants and animals

Conner, Jeffrey K.; Cooper, Idelle A.; Rosa, Raffica J. La; Pérez, Samuel G.; Royer, Anne M.

doi:10.1098/rstb.2013.0246

Cited by 50 publications

(40 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…S1). This floral scent integration level is lower than the integration level found in plant vegetative traits, hemimetabolous insects and vertebrates (0.5, Conner et al ., ). The lower level of floral scent integration is probably because floral scent is not a homogeneous ‘functional module’, as some VOCs work for pollinator attraction (e.g.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Heritability of floral volatiles and pleiotropic responses to artificial selection in Brassica rapa

Blanckenhorn

Schiestl

2015

New Phytologist

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SummaryThe evolution of the vast diversity of floral volatiles is little understood, although they serve fundamental functions, such as pollinator attraction and herbivore deterrence. Floral volatiles are often species specific, yet highly variable and sensitive to environmental factors. To date, nothing is known about the heritability of floral volatiles, and whether individual compounds can evolve independently or solely in concert with the whole volatile bouquet.We conducted bi-directional artificial selection on four target floral volatiles to estimate heritability and correlated pleiotropic responses in the wild turnip (Brassica rapa).The realized heritability of the four target volatiles ranged from 20% to 45%. The average narrow-sense heritability of all 13 analyzed floral volatiles was 18% based on parent-offspring regressions. There were pleiotropic effects of the selected floral volatile compounds on other constituents of the floral scent bouquet, on flowering time and on some morphological traits. We found that the whole floral scent bouquet changed, even when there was selection only on single compounds, with the overall phenotypic covariance being unaffected.Our study demonstrates that floral scent can evolve rapidly under phenotypic selection, but with additional correlated responses in traits that are not direct targets of selection.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Heritability of floral volatiles and pleiotropic responses to artificial selection in Brassica rapa

Blanckenhorn

Schiestl

2015

New Phytologist

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“…Thus, traits involved in pollen deposition and removal are expected to be integrated into a module due to the selective pressures exerted by pollinators (Fenster et al 2004;Specht and Bartlett 2009;Rosas-Guerrero et al 2010;Diggle 2014;Gómez et al 2014). Combinations of functionally coordinated traits are recognized as being a functional module when they exhibit high correlations among themselves and are independent or quasi-independent from other modules (Berg 1960;Cheverud 1982;Wagner 1996;Herrera et al 2002;Murren et al 2002;Pigliucci 2003;Pigliucci and Preston 2004;Klingenberg 2008;Conner et al 2014;Diggle 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Functional modularity in a forcible flower mechanism: relationships among morphology, biomechanical features and fitness

2015

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Flowers may be interpreted as complex combinations of organs functionally coordinated to attract pollinators and to mechanically interact with the pollinator's body, particularly when flower mechanisms are actively handled by pollinators. Thus, a functional modularity of traits in keel flowers (Fabaceae) was expected because of a compartmentalization between attraction and mechanical functions. To test this hypothesis, we used Collaea argentina, a Fabaceae that exhibits typical keel flowers. The force needed to open keels, the keel displacement angle and floral morphometric traits in 100 plants from a natural population were measured to detect floral characters correlated with the biomechanical variables. Furthermore, we examined the relationships among this functional module, biomechanical variables and female reproductive success to explore whether these traits are the targets of pollinator-mediated phenotypic selection, and used path analysis to examine the causal relationship among these variables. A functional module formed by two morphometric traits of the petals directly involved in the floral mechanism (keel and wings) was found, but no flag trait was involved in this module. Even though the functional module had a positive effect on force and there were significant relationships between the displacement angle and fruit set, no significant effect of force on female reproductive success was detected. These results question whether selection currently plays a role favouring the integration of this module, but this may be consistent with a past stabilizing selection on the force needed to open the keel.

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“…Indeed, despite being a critical component of floral display, there is a conspicuous paucity of investigations of genetic variation in floral longevity, and this becomes even more patent when compared to the body of work on genetic variation in other floral traits such as flower size and number (Ashman & Majetic, ; Conner et al ., ). In fact, current data on the heritability of floral longevity are derived solely from studies on species of horticultural interest (Verlinden, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Context‐dependency of resource allocation trade‐offs highlights constraints to the evolution of floral longevity in a monocarpic herb

Spigler

Woodard

2018

New Phytologist

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Summary Floral longevity is a critical component of floral display, yet there is a conspicuous paucity of empirical research on its evolution within species. Evolutionary models of floral longevity are grounded in resource allocation theory and propose that selection acts on heritable variation to optimize longevity in light of competing floral construction and maintenance costs. Key assumptions remain untested within wild species. We measured maximum floral longevity alongside protandry, flower size, flower number and flowering rate across families of the monocarpic herb Sabatia angularis grown under high and low resources. We evaluated genetic variation, plasticity and correlations between display traits, including fundamental resource–allocation trade‐offs and their interactions with resource availability. All display traits showed significant genetic variation. Resource availability influenced mean floral longevity and flower number, with genetic variation in these responses. Importantly, both floral longevity–flower number and flower number–size trade‐offs were significant and stronger under low resources. This study reinforces the application of resource allocation theory to floral display trait evolution. Our work highlights the context‐dependency of trade‐offs and the potential importance of plasticity in resource allocation, with plants investing in the construction of new flowers at faster rates when resources are high rather than in the maintenance of longer‐lived flowers.

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Patterns of phenotypic correlations among morphological traits across plants and animals

Cited by 50 publications

References 34 publications

Heritability of floral volatiles and pleiotropic responses to artificial selection in Brassica rapa

Heritability of floral volatiles and pleiotropic responses to artificial selection in Brassica rapa

Functional modularity in a forcible flower mechanism: relationships among morphology, biomechanical features and fitness

Context‐dependency of resource allocation trade‐offs highlights constraints to the evolution of floral longevity in a monocarpic herb

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