Search results for "ECOTYPE"

Do pollinator distributions underlie the evolution of pollination ecotypes in the Cape shrub Erica plukenetii?

2013

Background and aims According to the Grant-Stebbins model of pollinator-driven divergence, plants that disperse beyond the range of their specialized pollinator may adapt to a new pollination system. Although this model provides a compelling explanation for pollination ecotype formation, few studies have directly tested its validity in nature. Here we investigate the distribution and pollination biology of several subspecies of the shrub Erica plukenetii from the Cape Floristic Region in South Africa. We analyse these data in a phylogenetic context and combine these results with information on pollinator ranges to test whether the evolution of pollination ecotypes is consistent with the Gra…

Disparate movement behavior and feeding ecology in sympatric ecotypes of Atlantic cod

2021

Abstract Coexistence of ecotypes, genetically divergent population units, is a widespread phenomenon, potentially affecting ecosystem functioning and local food web stability. In coastal Skagerrak, Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) occur as two such coexisting ecotypes. We applied a combination of acoustic telemetry, genotyping, and stable isotope analysis to 72 individuals to investigate movement ecology and food niche of putative local “Fjord” and putative oceanic “North Sea” ecotypes—thus named based on previous molecular studies. Genotyping and individual origin assignment suggested 41 individuals were Fjord and 31 were North Sea ecotypes. Both ecotypes were found throughout the fjord. Seven …

Fruit Ripening Evolution in Settembrina di Leonforte and Gialla Tardiva di Leonforte Peach [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch] Ecotypes

2015

The aim of this research was to define the most appropriate harvesting time for the late ripening peach ecotypes Gialla Tardiva di Leonforte and Settembrina di Leonforte. Farmers used to apply a paper bag to each fruit to protect it from Mediterranean fruit fly egg-laying. The use of this cultivation practice reduces the use of pesticides with a major impact on consumer choice, but makes it more difficult to identify fruit commercial harvest time. The study was carried out using destructive quality indexes and the DA-Meter. The results showed a good correlation between DA-Meter classes and the chemical and physical characteristics of the fruit, giving useful information on fruit ripening an…

IMPORTANCE OF SICILIAN GENETIC RESOURCE

2014

Grafting suitability of Sicilian eggplant ecotypes onto Solanum torvum: Fruit composition, production and phenology

2013

The eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) is one of the most widely cultivated crops in tropical and temperate regions around the world and is suitable for propagation through grafting. In many parts of the world, grafting is a routine technique used in continuous cropping systems, because in the horticulture field is a sustainable technique that allows cultivators to overcome abiotic or biotic stress. The objective of this research was to evaluate the suitability at the grafting of four Sicilian eggplant ecotypes grown in open field in Sicily, Italy. Vegetables in general are a great source of minerals in the human diet and the eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) provides significant quantities of v…

The evolutionary history of the Arabidopsis arenosa complex: diverse tetraploids mask the Western Carpathian center of species and genetic diversity.

2012

The Arabidopsis arenosa complex is closely related to the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Species and subspecies in the complex are mainly biennial, predominantly outcrossing, herbaceous, and with a distribution range covering most parts of latitudes and the eastern reaches of Europe. In this study we present the first comprehensive evolutionary history of the A. arenosa species complex, covering its natural range, by using chromosome counts, nuclear AFLP data, and a maternally inherited marker from the chloroplast genome [trnL intron (trnL) and trnL/F intergenic spacer (trnL/F-IGS) of tRNA(Leu) and tRNA(Phe), respectively]. We unravel the broad-scale cytogeographic and phylogeographic pa…

Systematics of European coastal anchovies (genus Engraulis Cuvier).

2021

Reports of morphological differences between European anchovy (Engraulis cf. encrasicolus) from coastal and marine habitats have long existed in the ichthyologic literature, and have given rise to a long-standing debate on their taxonomic status. More recently, molecular studies have confirmed the existence of genetic differentiation between the two anchovy ecotypes. Using ancestry-informative markers, we show that coastal anchovies throughout the Mediterranean share a common ancestry, and that substantial genetic differentiation persists in different pairs of coastal/marine populations despite the presence of limited gene flow. On the basis of genetic and ecological arguments, we propose t…

Cryptic microgeographic variation in responses of larval Atlantic cod to warmer temperatures

2021

AbstractAlthough temperature is known to drive species dynamics and distributions, our understanding of the extent to which thermal plasticity varies within species is poor. Differences in plasticity can arise through local adaptation to heterogeneous environments, hybridization, and the release of cryptic genetic variation in novel environments. Here, wild Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) from contrasting environments inside and outside of a fjord system in southern Norway spawned freely in a semi-natural laboratory environment, generating pure crosses and reciprocal hybrids. A common-garden rearing experiment of the larvae at 6°C, 9.5°C, and 13°C revealed cryptic genetic variation in thermal r…

RAPD differentiation between Borderea pyrenaica and B. chouardii (Dioscoreaceae), two relict endangered taxa

2001

As currently circumscribed, the genus Borderea Mieg. comprises two narrowly distributed European taxa, Borderea pyrenaica (Bub.) Mieg. and B. chouardii (Gaussen) Heslot. An accumulation of facts such as that both species share a very close overall morphology, that only a single population of Borderea chouardii is known, and that they live in contrasting environments has led some authors to suggest that B. chouardii is a mere ecotype of the more widespread B. pyrenaica. We tested this hypothesis using RAPD markers in four populations of Borderea, three of them identified as B. pyrenaica and the other one representing the only known population of B. chouardii. Eleven out of twenty assayed pri…

Agronomical and chemical characterisation of Thymbra capitata (L.) Cav. biotypes from Sicily, Italy

2015

In this study the agromomical and chemical characterization of 13 sicilian biotypes of Thymbra capitata (L.) Cav. (or Thymus capitatus Hoff. et Link.) collected from different areas of Sicily (Italy) and grown under the same agricultural and environmental condition are reported. The main morpho-productive parameters and quali-quantitative profile of essential oils were determined . Essential oils were extracts from the aerial parts of the plants by hydrodistillation. The essential oils were analyzed by GC-FID and GC-MS. Hierarchical Cluster Analysis and Principal Component Analysis statistical methods were used to group biotypes according to the essential oils chemical composition. The esse…