Climate niche modeling in the perennial Glycine (Leguminosae) allopolyploid complex

Polyploid plants, when compared with diploids, show similar molecular, morphological, physiological, and ecological tendencies across unrelated groups, but the degree to which these form "rules" of polyploid evolution are unclear. The Glycine (Leguminosae) allopolyploid complex affords the opportunity to test whether polyploidy in similar genetic backgrounds produces similar effects on geographical range or climatic space.

We used information on locality presence of four closely related Glycine allopolyploid species and their diploid progenitors to build models of the potentially available Australian ranges based on climate using Maxent3.3.3k. Principal coordinate analysis was used to characterize the multidimensional climate space occupied by each species.

Each of the four Glycine allopolyploids showed intermediacy in potential geographical space and in ecological space, relative to its diploid progenitors. The four allopolyploids did not have consistently larger ranges than their progenitors, though all four occupied a portion of climate niche space not available to its progenitors. The polyploids also differed in their exploitation of potentially available geographical range. Australian ranges and environmental space did not correlate with greater colonizing ability in these polyploids.

The four Glycine allopolyploids do not show many common range- or climate-related features, other than intermediacy. Thus, despite their similar genetic and evolutionary backgrounds, polyploidy has not produced convergent ecological effects.