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Published on: March 13, 2014
Selective pressure along a latitudinal gradient affects subindividual variation in plants
Mar Sobral1, José Guitián, Pablo Guitián
1Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America.
Plos One
|September 27, 2013
Summary
Plant phenotypic variation within individuals, like fruit size, may be an adaptive trait. Seed-dispersing birds exert selective pressures that influence this variation, impacting plant evolution.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Plant Science
Background:
- Individual plants exhibit subindividual variation in organ traits, despite identical genotypes.
- This variation can impose costs on foraging animals, influencing their behavior and plant fitness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the hypothesis that within-individual phenotypic variation in plants is an adaptive trait.
- To determine if selective pressures from seed-dispersing birds explain variation in fruit size.
Main Methods:
- Studied subindividual variation in fruit size of *Crataegus monogyna* across European populations.
- Analyzed selective pressures exerted by seed-dispersing birds on fruit traits.
Main Results:
- Subindividual variation in *Crataegus monogyna* fruit size was partially explained by bird-driven selective pressures.
- Geographic location along a latitudinal gradient influenced this variation.
Conclusions:
- Within-individual plant variation can be an adaptive trait shaped by animal interactions.
- This interaction has significant implications for plant evolution and adaptation.
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