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Multiple geographical origins of environmental sex determination enhanced the diversification of Darwin's favourite orchids.

Abstract:
Environmental sex determination (ESD) - a change in sexual function during an individual life span driven by environmental cues - is an exceedingly rare sexual system among angiosperms. Because ESD can directly affect reproduction success, it could influence diversification rate as compared with lineages that have alternative reproductive systems. Here we test this hypothesis using a solid phylogenetic framework of Neotropical Catasetinae, the angiosperm lineage richest in taxa with ESD. We assess whether gains of ESD are associated with higher diversification rates compared to lineages with alternative systems while considering additional traits known to positively affect diversification rates in orchids. We found that ESD has evolved asynchronously three times during the last ~5 Myr. Lineages with ESD have consistently higher diversification rates than related lineages with other sexual systems. Habitat fragmentation due to mega-wetlands extinction, and climate instability are suggested as the driving forces for ESD evolution.
Publication status:
Published
Peer review status:
Peer reviewed

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Publisher copy:
10.1038/s41598-017-12300-y

Authors


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Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
MPLS Division
Department:
Plant Sciences
Department:
Oxford, MPLS, 4D00 MPLS Division, MPLS Divisional Office
Role:
Author


Publisher:
Springer Nature
Journal:
Scientific reports More from this journal
Volume:
7
Issue:
1
Pages:
12878
Publication date:
2017-10-10
Acceptance date:
2017-09-06
DOI:
EISSN:
2045-2322
Pmid:
29018291


Language:
English
Keywords:
Pubs id:
pubs:735624
UUID:
uuid:06cd97eb-1630-48b4-8bb9-70a3b6d3c92c
Local pid:
pubs:735624
Source identifiers:
735624
Deposit date:
2017-10-17

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