Convergencia intraespecífica en el fenotipo floral entre dos linajes divergentes de Monttea schickendantzii

BARANZELLI M.; COSACOV A.; FERREIRO G.; JOHNSON L.A; SÉRSIC A. N.

Congreso; XXVII Reunión Argentina de Ecología-XXIII Reunión de la Sociedad de Ecología de Chile; 2016

Abstract: Evolutionary processes occurring at ecological and historical context,can explain patterns of phenotypic variation at intraspecific level. Recent studiesshow that an integrative approach comprising these two temporal scales improvesour understanding of evolutionary process underlying geographical variation. Weinvestigated the role of historical range fragmentations and of variations incurrent ecological conditions (biotic and abitoic) in structuring floral phenotypicvariation of Monttea schickendantzii, a species which produces non-volatileoils and nectar as rewards for pollinators. For 244 individuals from 14locations, covering the entire range of the focal species, we measured 12 morphologicaltraits (floral shape, color, and size and quantify reward productions) andsequenced two chloroplast molecular markers. We also characterized pollinators?assemblage and climatic conditions for each study population. Using univariateanalyses we explored phenotypic and environmental differences amongpopulations. Then, using a phylogenetic analysis and special Molecular Analysisof Variance, we assessed whether the observed phenotypic variation correspondedto genetic partitions. Finally, to analyze the relationship between floraltraits and their association with historical (genetic distances betweenpopulations) and ecological (climatic and pollinator assemblage distances)factors, a multivariate analysis of redundancy was performed. Throughphylogeographic and phylogenetic analyses, two divergent lineages wereidentified located at the altitudinal gradient. The floral phenotype varies withthe ecological component, mainly in relation to rainfall, altitude and thediversity in the pollinator assemblages, generating intraspecific convergences infloral traits among genealogically distant but ecologically similar populations.This study highlights the importance of using the combination of phylogeographicanalyses with geographic distribution of functional traits, to betterunderstand process underlying plant-pollinator evolution.