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The genetics of plant morphological evolution
Kristen A Shepard1, Michael D Purugganan
1Department of Genetics, Box 7614, 3513 Gardner Hall, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, USA. kashepar@unity.ncsu.edu
Current Opinion in Plant Biology
|January 15, 2002
Abstract:
Considerable progress has been made in identifying genes that are involved in the evolution of plant morphologies. Elements of the ABC model of flower development are conserved throughout angiosperms, and homologous MADS-box genes function in gymnosperm reproduction. Candidate gene and mapping analyses of floral symmetry, sex determination, inflorescence architecture, and compound leaves provide intriguing glimpses into the evolution of morphological adaptations.