Integrative study of the reproductive biology and growth of Acestrorhynchus pantaneiro Menezes, 1992 (Characiformes, Acestrorhynchidae).

We studied the reproductive strategy, sexual system and growth of dientudo paraguayo Acestrorhynchus pantaneiro. After 2 years of monitoring in shallow areas of a floodplain lake from the lower Paraná basin (Argentina), it was evidenced that water temperature modulated gonadal maturation, but it was the river water level the synchronising stimulus that triggered spawning. This species exhibited a single annual breeding period from October to January, with most spawning activity in November. According to the von Bertalanffy growth curve, fish would reach autumn to winter months with LS of ~120 mm, already mature males. The first mature females were found at LS of 210 mm, becoming sexually mature between the second and third breeding seasons. This is the first integrative study that includes the body-length frequency distribution and sex differential size at first maturity and growth, and reports the presence of intersex gonads questioning its sexual pattern from gonochoristic to sequential hermaphrodite species. The sexual pattern, the multiple spawning behaviour and a medium to high absolute fecundity support the opportunistic and invasive behavior observed in previous contributions for this characiform species.

Simulated herbivory enhances leaky sex expression in the dioecious herb Mercurialis annua.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Plant reproductive traits are widely understood to be responsive to the selective pressures exerted by pollinators, but there is also increasing evidence for an important role for antagonists such as herbivores in shaping these traits. Many dioecious species show leaky sex expression, with males and females occasionally producing flowers of the opposite sex. Here, we asked to what extent leakiness in sex expression in Mercurialis annua (Euphorbiaceae) might also be plastically responsive to simulated herbivory. This is important because enhanced leakiness in dioecious populations could lead to a shift in both the mating system and in the conditions for transitions between combined and separate sexes. METHODS: We examined the effect of simulated herbivory on the sexual expression of males and females of M. annua in two experiments in which different levels of simulated herbivory led to enhanced leakiness in both sexes. KEY RESULTS: We showed that leaky sex expression in both males and females of the wind-pollinated dioecious herb M. annua is enhanced in response to simulated herbivory, increasing the probability for and the degree of leakiness in both sexes. We also found that leakiness was greater in larger females but not in larger males. CONCLUSIONS: We discuss hypotheses for a possible functional link between herbivory and leaky sex expression, and consider what simulated herbivory-induced leakiness might imply for the evolutionary ecology of plant reproductive systems, especially the breakdown of dioecy and the evolution of hermaphroditism.

Global distribution and evolutionary transitions of angiosperm sexual systems.

Angiosperm sexual systems are fundamental to the evolution and distribution of plant diversity, yet spatiotemporal patterns in angiosperm sexual systems and their drivers remain poorly known. Using data on sexual systems and distributions of 68453 angiosperm species, we present the first global maps of sexual system frequencies and evaluate sexual system evolution during the Cenozoic. Frequencies of dioecy and monoecy increase with latitude, while hermaphrodites are more frequent in warm and arid regions. Transitions to dioecy from other states were higher than to hermaphroditism, but transitions away from dioecy increased since the Cenozoic, suggesting that dioecy is not an evolutionary end point. Transitions between hermaphroditism and dioecy increased, while transitions to monoecy decreased with paleo-temperature when paleo-temperature >0℃. Our study demonstrates the biogeography of angiosperm sexual systems from a macroecological perspective, and enhances our understanding of plant diversity patterns and their response to climate change.

In situ radiation explains the frequency of dioecious palms on islands.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Dioecy has evolved up to 5000 times in angiosperms, despite the potentially high intrinsic costs to unisexuality. Dioecy prevents inbreeding, which is especially relevant on isolated islands when gene pools are small. Dioecy is also associated with certain dispersal traits, such as fruit size and type. However, the influence of dioecy on other life history traits and island distribution remains poorly understood. Here, we test the effect of dioecy on palm (Arecaceae) speciation rates, fruit size and frequency on islands. METHODS: We used phylogenetic comparative methods to estimate the ancestral state of the sexual system and its impact on speciation rates and fruit size. Frequency of sexual systems, effect of insularity on the probability of being dioecious, and phylogenetic clustering of island dioecious vs. mainland species were inferred. Lastly, we determined the interplay of insularity and sexual system on speciation rates. KEY RESULTS: Palms repeatedly evolved different sexual systems (dioecy, monoecy and polygamy) from a hermaphrodite origin. Differences in speciation rates and fruit size among the different sexual systems were not identified. An effect of islands on the probability of the palms being dioecious was also not found. However, we found a high frequency and phylogenetic clustering of dioecious palms on islands, which were not correlated with higher speciation rates. CONCLUSIONS: The high frequency and phylogenetic clustering may be the result of in situ radiation and suggest an 'island effect' for dioecious palms, which was not explained by differential speciation rates. This island effect also cannot be attributed to long-distance dispersal due to the lack of fruit size difference among sexual systems, and particularly because palm dispersal to islands is highly constrained by the interaction between the sizes of fruit and frugivores. Taken together, we suggest that trait flexibility in sexual system evolution and the in situ radiation of dioecious lineages are the underlying causes of the outstanding distribution of palms on islands.

Sexually Antagonistic Variation and the Evolution of Dimorphic Sexual Systems.

Multicellular Eukaryotes use a broad spectrum of sexual reproduction strategies, ranging from simultaneous hermaphroditism to complete dioecy (separate sexes). The evolutionary pathway from hermaphroditism to dioecy involves the spread of sterility alleles that eliminate female or male reproductive functions, producing unisexual individuals. Classical theory predicts that evolutionary transitions to dioecy are feasible when female and male sex functions genetically trade off with one another (allocation to sex functions is sexually antagonistic) and rates of self-fertilization and inbreeding depression are high within the ancestral hermaphrodite population. We show that genetic linkage between sterility alleles and loci under sexually antagonistic selection significantly alters these classical predictions. We identify three specific consequences of linkage for the evolution of dimorphic sexual systems. First, linkage broadens conditions for the invasion of unisexual sterility alleles, facilitating transitions to sexual systems that are intermediate between hermaphroditism and dioecy (androdioecy and gynodioecy). Second, linkage elevates the equilibrium frequencies of unisexual individuals within androdioecious and gynodioecious populations, which promotes subsequent transitions to full dioecy. Third, linkage dampens the role of inbreeding during transitions to androdioecy and gynodioecy, making these transitions feasible in outbred populations. We discuss implications of these results for the evolution of dimorphic reproductive systems and sex chromosomes.

A functional decomposition of sex inconstancy in the dioecious, colonizing plant Mercurialis annua.

PREMISE: Plants with separate sexes often show "inconstant" or "leaky" sex expression, with females or males producing a few flowers of the opposite sex. The frequency and degree of such inconstancy may reflect residual hermaphroditic sex allocation after an evolutionary transition from combined to separate sexes. Sex inconstancy also represents a possible first step in the breakdown of dioecy back to hermaphroditism. In the Mercurialis annua (Euphorbiaceae) species complex, monoecy and androdioecy have evolved from dioecy in polyploid populations. Here, we characterize patterns of sex inconstancy in dioecious M. annua and discuss how sex inconstancy may have contributed to the breakdown of separate sexes in the genus. METHODS: We measured sex inconstancy in three common gardens of M. annua over 2 years using a modification of Lloyd's phenotypic gender in terms of frequency and degree, with the degree calibrating inconstancy against the sex allocation of constant males and constant females, yielding a measure of gender that does not depend on the distribution of gender in the population. RESULTS: Unusually for dioecious plants, the frequency of sex inconstancy in M. annua was greater in females, but its degree was greater for males in the 2 years of study. We suggest that this pattern is consistent with the maintenance of inconstancy in dioecious M. annua by selection for reproductive assurance under mate limitation. CONCLUSIONS: Our study illustrates the utility of decomposing measures of sex inconstancy into its frequency and its degree and throws new light on the origin of variation in sexual systems in Mercurialis.

Hermaphroditism promotes mate diversity in flowering plants.

PREMISE: Genetically diverse sibships are thought to increase parental fitness through a reduction in the intensity of sib competition, and through increased opportunities for seedling establishment in spatially or temporally heterogeneous environments. Nearly all research on mate diversity in flowering plants has focused on the number of fathers siring seeds within a fruit or on a maternal plant. Yet as hermaphrodites, plants can also accrue mate diversity by siring offspring on several pollen recipients in a population. Here we explore whether mate composition overlaps between the dual sex functions, and discuss the implications for plant reproductive success. METHODS: We established an experimental population of 49 Mimulus ringens (monkeyflower) plants, each trimmed to a single flower. Following pollination by wild bees, we quantified mate composition for each flower through both paternal and maternal function. Parentage was successfully assigned to 240 progeny, 98% of the sampled seeds. RESULTS: Comparison of mate composition between male and female function revealed high mate diversity, with almost no outcross mates shared between the two sexual functions of the same flower. CONCLUSIONS: Dual sex roles contribute to a near doubling of mate diversity in our experimental population of Mimulus ringens. This finding may help explain the maintenance of hermaphroditism under conditions that would otherwise favor the evolution of separate sexes.

The Effects of Mindfulness on Sexual Outcomes: The Role of Emotion Regulation.

Individuals higher in dispositional mindfulness, a quality of non-judgmental attention to the present moment, fare better than their less mindful counterparts on a wide range of psychological and interpersonal outcomes. However, remarkably little is known about the potential influence of dispositional mindfulness on sexual outcomes. Here we investigated whether dispositional mindfulness was associated with a range of sexual outcomes, including sexual satisfaction, sexual hyperactivation (heightened sexual desire and worry), sexual deactivation (suppression of sexual desire and behavior), and problematic pornography use. We also tested whether capacity for emotion regulation was the mechanism underlying the mindfulness-sexual outcome association. These hypotheses were tested in two samples: a sample of adults in a committed romantic relationship (N = 407) and a group of adults who were long-term single (N = 400). Across both samples, dispositional mindfulness predicted more adaptive sexual outcomes, and emotion regulation generally mediated these associations. Of particular importance, the positive effects of dispositional mindfulness on sexual outcomes appear to generalize across relationship statuses, with both partnered and long-term single individuals displaying a similar pattern of results. These findings highlight that high dispositional mindfulness may predict a range of positive sexual outcomes in both partnered and single individuals.

Global biogeography of mating system variation in seed plants.

Latitudinal gradients in biotic interactions have been suggested as causes of global patterns of biodiversity and phenotypic variation. Plant biologists have long speculated that outcrossing mating systems are more common at low than high latitudes owing to a greater predictability of plant-pollinator interactions in the tropics; however, these ideas have not previously been tested. Here, we present the first global biogeographic analysis of plant mating systems based on 624 published studies from 492 taxa. We found a weak decline in outcrossing rate towards higher latitudes and among some biomes, but no biogeographic patterns in the frequency of self-incompatibility. Incorporating life history and growth form into biogeographic analyses reduced or eliminated the importance of latitude and biome in predicting outcrossing or self-incompatibility. Our results suggest that biogeographic patterns in mating system are more likely a reflection of the frequency of life forms across latitudes rather than the strength of plant-pollinator interactions.

Plant sex affects the structure of plant-pollinator networks in a subtropical forest.

Although it has long been recognized that the diversified sexual systems of plants could influence community patterns and pollination specialization, plant sex is not usually incorporated to quantify plant-pollinator networks. In this study, we observed 1776 visitations corresponding to 84 pollinator species and 28 plant species (19 sexually monomorphic plants and 9 dioecious plants) in a subtropical forest, China. We constructed three networks by, respectively, combining visitations to dioecious female and male plants at the species level, separating them, and retaining the shared visitations between them. When the shared visitations between male and female plants were considered, the modularity was increased and the nestedness was decreased with a significantly low robustness for the plant community. Only in this network, most dioecious and hermaphroditic plants were associated with different pollinator groups and separated to different modules. The results also showed that dioecious plants were more generalized and more likely to be module hubs in sex-combined network and sex-separated network but not in sex-shared network. Only in the sex-separated network, pollinators in dioecious modules were less selective than in hermaphroditic modules. Our study shows incorporating the different visitations between plant sexes could affect the analysis of key network structure properties and the description of pollination niche. To better understand niche partitioning and stability of plant-pollinator communities, it is necessary to compare pollination networks considering plant sexual diversity.

Genetic Mapping and Phylogenetic Analysis Reveal Intraspecific Variation in Sex Chromosomes of the Virginian Strawberry.

With their extraordinary diversity in sexual systems, flowering plants offer unparalleled opportunities to understand sex determination and to reveal generalities in the evolution of sex chromosomes. Comparative genetic mapping of related taxa with good phylogenetic resolution can delineate the extent of sex chromosome diversity within plant groups, and lead the way to understanding the evolutionary drivers of such diversity. The North American octoploid wild strawberries provide such an opportunity. We performed linkage mapping using targeted sequence capture for the subdioecious western Fragaria virginiana ssp. platypetala and compared the location of its sex-determining region (SDR) to those of 2 other (sub)dioecious species, the eastern subspecies, F. virginiana ssp. virginiana (whose SDR is at 0-5.5 Mb on chromosome VI of the B2 subgenome), and the sister species F. chiloensis (whose SDR is at 37 Mb on chromosome VI of the Av subgenome). Male sterility was dominant in F. virginiana ssp. platypetala and mapped to a chromosome also in homeologous group VI. Likewise, one major quantitative trait locus (QTL) for female fertility overlapped the male sterility region. However, the SDR mapped to yet another subgenome (B1), and to a different location (13 Mb), but similar to the location inferred in one population of the naturally occurring hybrid between F. chiloensis and F. virginiana (F. ×ananassa ssp. cuneifolia). Phylogenetic analysis of chromosomes across the octoploid taxa showed consistent subgenomic composition reflecting shared evolutionary history but also reinforced within-species variation in the SDR-carrying chromosome, suggesting either repeated evolution, or recent turnovers in SDR.

The Pseudoautosomal Regions of the U/V Sex Chromosomes of the Brown Alga Ectocarpus Exhibit Unusual Features.

The recombining regions of sex chromosomes (pseudoautosomal regions, PARs) are predicted to exhibit unusual features due to their being genetically linked to the nonrecombining, sex-determining region. This phenomenon is expected to occur in both diploid (XY, ZW) and haploid (UV) sexual systems, with slightly different consequences for UV sexual systems because of the absence of masking during the haploid phase (when sex is expressed) and because there is no homozygous sex in these systems. Despite a considerable amount of theoretical work on PAR genetics and evolution, these genomic regions have remained poorly characterized empirically. We show here that although the PARs of the U/V sex chromosomes of the brown alga Ectocarpus recombine at a similar rate to autosomal regions of the genome, they exhibit many genomic features typical of nonrecombining regions. The PARs were enriched in clusters of genes that are preferentially, and often exclusively, expressed during the sporophyte generation of the life cycle, and many of these genes appear to have evolved since the Ectocarpales diverged from other brown algal lineages. A modeling-based approach was used to investigate possible evolutionary mechanisms underlying this enrichment in sporophyte-biased genes. Our results are consistent with the evolution of the PAR in haploid systems being influenced by differential selection pressures in males and females acting on alleles that are advantageous during the sporophyte generation of the life cycle.

Correlated polymorphism in cytotype and sexual system within a monophyletic species, Lycium californicum.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Polyploidy has important effects on reproductive systems in plants and has been implicated in the evolution of dimorphic sexual systems. In particular, higher ploidy is associated with gender dimorphism across Lycium species (Solanaceae) and across populations within the species Lycium californicum. Previous research on the association of cytotype and sexual system within L. californicum sampled a limited portion of the species range, and did not investigate evolutionary transitions between sexual systems. Lycium californicum occurs in arid regions on offshore islands and mainland regions in the south-western United States and Mexico, motivating a more comprehensive analysis of intraspecific variation in sexual system and cytotype across the full range of this species. METHODS: Sexual system (dimorphic vs. cosexual) was determined for 34 populations across the geographical range of L. californicum using field observations of pollen production, and was confirmed using morphological measurements and among-plant correlations of primary sexual traits. Ploidy was inferred using flow cytometry in 28 populations. DNA sequence data from four plastid and two nuclear regions were used to reconstruct relationships among populations and to map transitions in sexual system and ploidy. KEY RESULTS: Lycium californicum is monophyletic, ancestrally diploid and cosexual, and the association of gender dimorphism and polyploidy appears to have two evolutionary origins in this species. Compared with cosexual populations, dimorphic populations had bimodal anther size distributions, negative correlations between male and female floral traits, and larger coefficients of variation for primary sexual traits. Flow cytometry confirmed tetraploidy in dimorphic populations, whereas cosexual populations were diploid. CONCLUSIONS: Tetraploidy and gender dimorphism are perfectly correlated in L. californicum, and the distribution of tetraploid-dimorphic populations is restricted to populations in Arizona and the Baja California peninsula. The analysis suggests that tetraploidy and dimorphism likely established in Baja California and may have evolved multiple times.

Polyploidy and sexual system in angiosperms: Is there an association?

PREMISE OF THE STUDY: Flowering plants display a variety of sexual systems, ranging from complete cosexuality (hermaphroditism) to separate-sexed individuals (dioecy). While dioecy is relatively rare, it has evolved many times and is present in many plant families. Transitions in sexual systems are hypothesized to be affected by large genomic events such as whole-genome duplication, or polyploidy, and several models have been proposed to explain the observed patterns of association. METHODS: In this study, we assessed the association between ploidy and sexual system (separate or combined sexes). To this end, we assembled a database of ploidy levels and sexual systems for ∼1000 species, spanning 18 genera and 15 families. We applied several phylogenetic comparative approaches, including Pagel's coevolutionary framework and sister clade analyses, for detecting correlations between ploidy level and sexual system. KEY RESULTS: Our results indicate a broad association between polyploidy and sexual system dimorphism, with low evolutionary stability of the diploid-dioecious condition observed in several clades. A detailed examination of the clades exhibiting this correlation reveals that it is underlain by various patterns of transition rate asymmetry. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that the long-hypothesized connection between ploidy and sexual system holds in some clades, although it may well be affected by factors that differ from clade to clade. Our results further demonstrate that to better understand the evolutionary processes involved, more sophisticated methods and extensive and detailed data sets are required for both broad and focused inquiry.

The origins and evolution of dwarf males and habitat use in thoracican barnacles.

Barnacles are exceptional in having various sexual systems (androdioecy, hermaphroditism, dioecy) and with a high morphological diversity of males, though these are always minute (dwarf) compared to their female or hermaphrodite partners. For the first time, we use a multiple DNA marker-based phylogeny to elucidate the ancestral states and evolution of (1) dwarf males, (2) their morphology when present, (3) their attachment site on the partner, and (4) habitat use in thoracican barnacles. Our taxon sampling was especially rich in rare deep-sea Scalpelliformes and comprised species with diverse sexual systems and dwarf male morphologies. Within the thoracican barnacles dwarf male evolution is subject to extensive convergence, but always correlated to similar ecological conditions. Males evolved convergently at least four times from purely hermaphroditic ancestors, in each case correlated with the invasion into habitats with low mating group sizes. The independent evolution of dwarf males in these lineages dovetails with the males having different morphologies and occurring in several different locations on their sexual partner.

The ecology, evolution, and biogeography of dioecy in the genus Solanum: with paradigms from the strong dioecy in Solanum polygamum, to the unsuspected and cryptic dioecy in Solanum conocarpum.

UNLABELLED: • PREMISE OF THE STUDY: Island plants are over-exploited and "under-explored." Understanding the reproductive biology of plants, especially rare species, is fundamental to clarifying their evolution, estimating potential for change, and for creating effective conservation plans. Clarification of sexual systems like dioecy, and unusual manifestations of it in specific studies within Solanum, helps elucidate evolutionary patterns and genetic and ecological control of sex expression.• METHODS: Studies of reproductive systems of two Caribbean endemics, S. polygamum and S. conocarpum, combined multifaceted analyses of field populations and of multiple generations of greenhouse plants.• KEY RESULTS: The dioecy in both species is, like that in other solanums, largely cryptic, although the gender of S. polygamum flowers is obvious. The rare S. conocarpum is recognized as dioecious; floral gender is not obvious. Variation in sex expression facilitated experiments and promoted hypotheses on control and significance of morphological features and sex expression.• CONCLUSIONS: Confirmed dioecy in at least 15 solanums is distributed across the genus, with perhaps 6 independent origins, and with crypticity in the form of morphologically hermaphroditic, but functionally unisexual, flowers characterizing all species. Dioecy is not more strongly associated with islands. Inaperturate pollen in pistillate flowers characterizes almost all, but not the two dioecious species studied herein. Dioecy in both species indicates leakiness (rare hermaphroditic flowers on male plants) that helps explain island colonization and radiation. Leakiness allowed confirmation-usually impossible for dioecious species-of self-compatibility for S. polygamum, and thus support for the hypothesis that dioecy evolved to promote outcrossing.

Pistillate flowers experience more pollen limitation and less geitonogamy than perfect flowers in a gynomonoecious herb.

Gynomonoecy, a sexual system in which plants have both pistillate (female) flowers and perfect (hermaphroditic) flowers, occurs in at least 15 families, but the differential reproductive strategies of the two flower morphs within one individual remain unclear. Racemes of Eremurus anisopterus (Xanthorrhoeaceae) have basal pistillate and distal perfect flowers. To compare sex allocation and reproductive success between the two flower morphs, we measured floral traits, pollinator preferences, and pollen movement in the field. Pollen limitation was more severe in pistillate flowers; bee pollinators preferred to visit perfect flowers, which were also capable of partial self-fertilization. Pollen-staining experiments indicated that perfect flowers received a higher proportion of intra-plant pollen (geitonogamy) than pistillate flowers. Plants with greater numbers of pistillate flowers received more outcross pollen. The differential reproductive success conformed with differential floral sex allocation, in which pistillate flowers produce fewer but larger ovules, resulting in outcrossed seeds. Our flower manipulations in these nectarless gynomonoecious plants demonstrated that perfect flowers promote seed quantity in that they are more attractive to pollinators, while pistillate flowers compensate for the loss of male function through better seed quality. These results are consistent with the outcrossing-benefit hypothesis for gynomonoecy.

The relative and absolute frequencies of angiosperm sexual systems: dioecy, monoecy, gynodioecy, and an updated online database.

UNLABELLED: • PREMISE OF THE STUDY: Separating sexual function between different individuals carries risks, especially for sedentary organisms. Nevertheless, many land plants have unisexual gametophytes or sporophytes. This study brings together data and theoretical insights from research over the past 20 yr on the occurrence and frequency of plant sexual systems, focusing on the flowering plants.• METHODS: A list of genera with dioecious species, along with other information, is made available (http://www.umsl.edu/∼renners/). Frequencies of other sexual systems are tabulated, and data on the genetic regulation, ecological context, and theoretical benefits of dioecy reviewed.• KEY RESULTS: There are 15600 dioecious angiosperms in 987 genera and 175 families, or 5-6% of the total species (7% of genera, 43% of families), with somewhere between 871 to 5000 independent origins of dioecy. Some 43% of all dioecious angiosperms are in just 34 entirely dioecious clades, arguing against a consistent negative influence of dioecy on diversification. About 31.6% of the dioecious species are wind-pollinated, compared with 5.5-6.4% of nondioecious angiosperms. Also, 1.4% of all angiosperm genera contain dioecious and monoecious species, while 0.4% contain dioecious and gynodioecious species. All remaining angiosperm sexual systems are rare. Chromosomal sex determination is known from 40 species; environmentally modulated sex allocation is common. Few phylogenetic studies have focused on the evolution of dioecy.• CONCLUSIONS: The current focus is on the genetic mechanisms underlying unisexual flowers and individuals. Mixed strategies of sexual and vegetative dispersal, together with plants' sedentary life style, may often favor polygamous systems in which sexually inconstant individuals can persist. Nevertheless, there are huge entirely dioecious clades of tropical woody plants.

Pollination and mating systems of Apodanthaceae and the distribution of reproductive traits in parasitic angiosperms.

PREMISE OF THE STUDY: The most recent reviews of the reproductive biology and sexual systems of parasitic angiosperms were published 17 yr ago and reported that dioecy might be associated with parasitism. We use current knowledge on parasitic lineages and their sister groups, and data on the reproductive biology and sexual systems of Apodanthaceae, to readdress the question of possible trends in the reproductive biology of parasitic angiosperms. • METHODS: Fieldwork in Zimbabwe and Iran produced data on the pollinators and sexual morph frequencies in two species of Apodanthaceae. Data on pollinators, dispersers, and sexual systems in parasites and their sister groups were compiled from the literature. • KEY RESULTS: With the possible exception of some Viscaceae, most of the ca. 4500 parasitic angiosperms are animal-pollinated, and ca. 10% of parasites are dioecious, but the gain and loss of dioecy across angiosperms is too poorly known to infer a statistical correlation. The studied Apodanthaceae are dioecious and pollinated by nectar- or pollen-foraging Calliphoridae and other flies. • CONCLUSIONS: Sister group comparisons so far do not reveal any reproductive traits that evolved (or were lost) concomitant with a parasitic life style, but the lack of wind pollination suggests that this pollen vector may be maladaptive in parasites, perhaps because of host foliage or flowers borne close to the ground.

A Foundational Population Genetics Investigation of the Sexual Systems of Solanum (Solanaceae) in the Australian Monsoon Tropics Suggests Dioecious Taxa May Benefit from Increased Genetic Admixture via Obligate Outcrossing.

Solanum section Leptostemonum is an ideal lineage to test the theoretical framework regarding proposed evolutionary benefits of outcrossing sexual systems in comparison to cosexuality. Theoretically, non-cosexual taxa should support more genetic diversity within populations, experience less inbreeding, and have less genetic structure due to a restricted ability to self-fertilize. However, many confounding factors present challenges for a confident inference that inherent differences in sexual systems influence observed genetic patterns among populations. This study provides a foundational baseline of the population genetics of several species of different sexual systems with the aim of generating hypotheses of any factor-including sexual system-that influences genetic patterns. Importantly, results indicate that dioecious S. asymmetriphyllum maintains less genetic structure and greater admixture among populations than cosexual S. raphiotes at the same three locations where they co-occur. This suggests that when certain conditions are met, the evolution of dioecy may have proceeded as a means to avoid genetic consequences of self-compatibility and may support hypotheses of benefits gained through differential resource allocation partitioned across sexes. Arguably, the most significant finding of this study is that all taxa are strongly inbred, possibly reflective of a shared response to recent climate shifts, such as the increased frequency and intensity of the region's fire regime.