Premium
The balance between sexual and asexual reproduction in plants living in variable environments
Author(s) -
Bengt Olle Bengtsson,
Alf Ceplitis
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
journal of evolutionary biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.289
H-Index - 128
eISSN - 1420-9101
pISSN - 1010-061X
DOI - 10.1046/j.1420-9101.2000.00187.x
Subject(s) - propagule , biology , asexual reproduction , sexual reproduction , reproduction , ecology , population , evolutionary biology , botany , demography , sociology
The balance between sexual and asexual propagule production is studied in an evolutionary model where plants produce the two kinds of propagules in genetically determined proportions. The male function of plants producing asexual propagules can be varied, and the sexual and asexual propagules carry different probabilities to turn into new reproductive individuals. These fitnesses may vary over years. The evolution of the population’s reproductive system is studied assuming modifier alleles with small effects. In this setting a balanced, mixed reproductive system can evolve, but only if the difference in fitness between the sexual and asexual propagules varies over years. When the two kinds of propagules are very similar to each other, as is often the case with sexual and asexual seed formation, evolution will tend towards a state dominated by the one or the other reproductive system.