Using Microevolution to Explain the Macroevolutionary Observations for the Evolution of Sex

Becks, Lutz; Alavi, Yasaman

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-15045-1_8

Cited by 5 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 122 publications

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“…In ferns, this adaptation is remarkably common, with an estimated 10% of species considered to be obligately apomictic (Walker, 1979; Liu et al, 2012). In other vascular plant lineages, apomixis is considerably less prevalent (e.g., <1% in angiosperms; Bicknell and Koltunow, 2004; Becks and Alavi, 2015). Despite the frequency (and stability) of obligate apomixis in ferns, a comprehensive model for its evolution is lacking.…”

Section: A Model For the Establishment Of Obligate Apomixis In Fernsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A drought‐driven model for the evolution of obligate apomixis in ferns: evidence from pellaeids (Pteridaceae)

Grusz

Windham

Picard

et al. 2021

American J of Botany

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Premise Xeric environments impose major constraints on the fern life cycle, yet many lineages overcome these limitations by evolving apomixis. Here, we synthesize studies of apomixis in ferns and present an evidence‐based model for the evolution and establishment of this reproductive strategy, focusing on genetic and environmental factors associated with its two defining traits: the production of “unreduced” spores (n = 2n) and the initiation of sporophytes from gametophyte tissue (i.e., diplospory and apogamy, respectively). Methods We evaluated existing literature in light of the hypothesis that abiotic characteristics of desert environments (e.g., extreme diurnal temperature fluctuations, high light intensity, and water limitation) drive the evolution of obligate apomixis. Pellaeid ferns (Cheilanthoideae: Pteridaceae) were examined in detail, as an illustrative example. We reconstructed a plastid (rbcL, trnG–trnR, atpA) phylogeny for the clade and mapped reproductive mode (sexual versus apomictic) and ploidy across the resulting tree. Results Our six‐stage model for the evolution of obligate apomixis in ferns emphasizes the role played by drought and associated abiotic conditions in the establishment of this reproductive approach. Furthermore, our updated phylogeny of pellaeid ferns reveals repeated origins of obligate apomixis and shows an increase in the frequency of apomixis, and rarity of sexual reproduction, among taxa inhabiting increasingly dry North American deserts. Conclusions Our findings reinforce aspects of other evolutionary, physiological, developmental, and omics‐based studies, indicating a strong association between abiotic factors and the establishment of obligate apomixis in ferns. Water limitation, in particular, appears critical to establishment of this reproductive mode.

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Section: A Model For the Establishment Of Obligate Apomixis In Fernsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A drought‐driven model for the evolution of obligate apomixis in ferns: evidence from pellaeids (Pteridaceae)

Grusz

Windham

Picard

et al. 2021

American J of Botany

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“…The ubiquity of sexual lineages among eukaryotes is a long‐standing problem in biology (Smith ; Bell ). Extensive research has examined the adaptive function of sex, that is the mechanisms for its origin and maintenance over evolutionary time (Lively and Morran ; Becks and Alavi ). However, less consideration has been given to the potential downstream consequences of sex on evolution, such as changes in genome modularity and architecture, population differentiation, or evolvability.…”

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The effect of sex on the repeatability of evolution in different environments

Lachapelle

Colegrave

2017

Evolution

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32The adaptive function of sex has been extensively studied, while less consideration has 33 been given to the potential downstream consequences of sex on evolution. Here we 34 investigate one such potential consequence, the effect of sex on the repeatability of 35 evolution. By affecting the repeatability of evolution, sex could have important 36 implications for biodiversity, and for our ability to make predictions about the outcome of 37 environmental change. We allowed asexual and sexual populations of Chlamydomonas 38 reinhardtii to evolve in novel environments and monitored both their change in fitness 39and variance in fitness after evolution. Sex affected the repeatability of evolution by 40 changing the importance of the effect of selection, chance and ancestral constraints on the 41 outcome of the evolutionary process. In particular, the effects of sex were highly 42 dependent on the initial genetic composition of the population and on the environment. 43Given the lack of a consistent effect of sex on repeatability across the environments used 44here, further studies to dissect in more detail the underlying reasons for these differences 45 as well as studies in additional environments are required if we are to have a general 46 understanding of the effects of sex on the repeatability of evolution.

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“…By contrast, sexual species often have ranges that are smaller or limited to select habitats within an asexual relative's expanded range (Hörandl, 2006). However, the mechanisms underlying both the frequent formation of apomictic lineages and their subsequent proliferation remain poorly understood, as most studies of apomixis come from the angiosperms, in which <1% of species exhibit this form of asexuality (Bicknell and Koltunow, 2004; Becks and Alavi, 2015).…”

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confidence: 99%

When it only takes one to tango: assessing the impact of apomixis in the fern genus Pteris

Picard

Ranft

Grusz

et al. 2021

American J of Botany

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Premise Apomixis (asexual reproduction by seed, spore, or egg) has evolved repeatedly across the tree of life. Studies of animals and angiosperms show that apomictic lineages are often evolutionarily short‐lived and frequently exhibit different distributions than their sexual relatives. However, apomixis is rare in these groups. Less is known about the role of apomixis in the evolution and biogeography of ferns, in which ~10% of species are apomictic. Apomixis is especially common in the fern genus Pteris (34–39% of species); however, because of the limited taxonomic and geographic sampling of previous studies, the true frequency of apomixis and its associations with geography and phylogeny in this lineage remain unclear. Methods We used spore analyses of herbarium specimens to determine reproductive mode for 127 previously unsampled Pteris species. Then we leveraged biogeographic and phylogenetic analyses to estimate the global distribution and evolution of apomixis in Pteris. Results Among all Pteris species examined, we found that 21% are exclusively apomictic, 71% are exclusively sexual, and 8% have conflicting reports. Apomixis is unevenly distributed across the range of the genus, with the Paleotropics exhibiting the highest frequency, and has evolved numerous times across the Pteris phylogeny, with predominantly East Asian and South Asian clades containing the most apomictic species. Conclusions Apomixis arises frequently in Pteris, but apomictic species do not appear to diversify. Species that encompass both apomictic and sexual populations have wider ranges than exclusively sexual or apomictic species, which suggests that sexual and apomictic ferns could occupy separate ecological niches.

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Using Microevolution to Explain the Macroevolutionary Observations for the Evolution of Sex

Cited by 5 publications

References 122 publications

A drought‐driven model for the evolution of obligate apomixis in ferns: evidence from pellaeids (Pteridaceae)

A drought‐driven model for the evolution of obligate apomixis in ferns: evidence from pellaeids (Pteridaceae)

The effect of sex on the repeatability of evolution in different environments

When it only takes one to tango: assessing the impact of apomixis in the fern genus Pteris

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