| Abstract Detail
Population Genetics/Genomics Stevens, Mia [1], Loveless, Marilyn [2], Ison, Jennifer [3]. Hummingbirds are not Fab-aceae pollinators: Erythrina flabelliformis, a hummingbird-pollinated desert perennial, has significant fine-scale genetic structure and low pollen movement distances. The genetic structure of a population of plants can be affected by the way a pollinator moves within and between populations. Different pollinators vary in the way they move pollen within a population; for example, bees move short distances, creating higher amounts of genetic structure compared to hawkmoths that move long distances. However, little is known about the genetic structure created by hummingbirds. Therefore, I recorded flowering phenology data of 120 parental Erythrina flabelliformis plants in Texas Canyon, AZ. Then we collected seeds from each of these plants, and randomly planted eight seeds from 32 individuals; however, with very low germination rates, only 14 individuals had three seeds. I used microsatellites to genotype all 120 parents and 43 offspring. I used SPAGeDi to run spatial genetics with the parental data to see if there was genetic structure of the parents. I then used the program CERVUS to assign paternity to the offspring and were able to find pollen movement distances. My work allowed me to determine if this hummingbird-pollinated population exhibits genetic structure and pollen movement distances. I found that the population has fine-scale spatial genetic structure with clusters of individuals that are related, and pollen did not move far distances. My research indicates that E. flabelliformis may fail to adapt to the increase in global average temperature that is associated with climate change.
1 - The College of Wooster, Biology, 1189 Beall Ave, Wooster, OH, 44691, United States
2 - 7415 N. Obregon Drive, Tucson, AZ, 85704, United States
3 - 2206 Dorchester, Wooster, OH, 44691, United States
Keywords:
pollination
Genetic Structure
hummingbird
pollen movement
Microsatellites.
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: POPGEN1, Population Genetics/Genomics I
Location: Virtual/Virtual
Date: Tuesday, July 28th, 2020
Time: 4:00 PM
Number: POPGEN1005
Abstract ID:510
Candidate for Awards:None |
