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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 1, 2026

Dissection, MicroCT Scanning and Morphometric Analyses of the Baculum

Dissection, MicroCT Scanning and Morphometric Analyses of the Baculum

Published on: March 19, 2017

SEED MORPHOMETRICS AND ADAPTIVE GEOGRAPHIC DIFFERENTIATION.

D Lawrence Venable¹, Eric Dyreson¹, Daniel Piñero²

¹Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, BSW 310, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 85721.

Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution

|June 2, 2017

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Adaptive seed morphology in Heterosperma pinnatum reflects geographic differentiation in Mexico. Seed dispersal traits (%A) link to ephemeral habitats, while seed shape (%C) relates to spring precipitation, showing distinct adaptive strategies.

Keywords:

Adaptation Heterosperma pinnatum dispersal dormancy ecotypic differentiation genetic distance germination morphometrics seed heteromorphism

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Area of Science:

Ecology
Evolutionary Biology
Plant Science

Background:

Heterosperma pinnatum exhibits seed heteromorphism, with achenes varying in shape and presence of adhesive awns.
Achenes are classified into central, intermediate, and peripheral morphs, with or without adhesive awns.
Seed morphology variation within and among populations suggests adaptive differentiation.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate adaptive geographic differentiation in seed morphology of Heterosperma pinnatum.
To correlate seed dispersal (awn presence) and dormancy (shape) traits with environmental factors like vegetation and precipitation.
To test hypotheses linking dispersal morphology to population ephemerality and dormancy morphology to precipitation patterns.

Main Methods:

Quantified achene shape using principal component analysis (PCA) contrasting log length and width.
Described head variation using shape scores, achene number, and indices of shape shift.
Calculated morphological, geographic, and genetic (isozyme) distance matrices among 36 populations.
Used partial matrix correlations to relate morphology to vegetation type and precipitation, controlling for geographic distance.

Main Results:

PCA identified two main components correlating with percent central achenes (%C) and percent achenes with awns (%A).
A significant relationship was found between %A and closed vegetation, lower spring, and higher summer precipitation.
%C was correlated with lower spring precipitation, suggesting adaptation to different environmental pressures.

Conclusions:

Seed morphology in H. pinnatum shows adaptive geographic differentiation driven by selection.
Dispersal traits are associated with ephemeral habitats and specific precipitation regimes.
Isozyme and morphological traits appear independent, indicating selection acts primarily on morphology.