Summary
Morphological variability was studied in two populations of Plantago lanceolata using diallel analysis. In each population, reciprocal crosses between all possible pairs of ten plants were made. In the greenhouse, six members of each family were grown and many characters were measured. Using the model of Cockerham and Weir, the contributions of the different genetic variance components were calculated. From earlier papers it was postulated in advance to what extent and by which effect the characters in both populations were genetically determined. The populations had been differentiated for life history and morphological characters, and varied also in the relative contribution of genetic components to variability. In the Merrevliet (Me) population, where strong biotic selection was assumed, low levels of additive-genetic variability were present and the relative dominance appeared to be high. The contrasting population, Westduinen (Wd), which is abiotically controlled and shows strong environmental variability, possessed higher levels of additive-genetic variability and lower levels of relative dominance. It is possible that differential natural selection has diminished additive-genetic variability to different extents in both populations: plasticity and environmental heterogeneity prevented the loss of additive-genetic variability in Wd, whereas in the stable population, Me, natural selection had the opportunity of not only changing the means of the characters but also of diminishing additive-genetic variability to a great extent.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alexander HM, Wulff RD (1985) Experimental genetics in Plantago. X. The effects of maternal temperature on seed and seedling characters in Plantago lanceolata. J Ecol 73:271–282
Antonovics J, Schmitt J (1986) Paternal and maternal effects on propagule size in Anthoxanthum odoratum. Oecologia 69:277–282
Bradshaw AD (1984) The importance of evolutionary ideas in ecology and vice versa. In: Shorrocks B (ed) Evolutionary ecology. Blackwell, Oxford, pp 1–25
Charlesworth B (1984) The evolutionary genetics of life histories. In: Shorrocks B (ed) Evolutionary ecology. Blackwell, Oxford, pp 117–133
Cockerham CC, Weir BS (1977) Quadratic analysis of reciprocal crosses. Biometrics 33:187–203
Fisher RA (1930) The genetical theory of natural selection. Clarendon Press, Oxford
Fisher RA (1958) The genetical theory of natural selection, 2nd edn. Dover, New York
Hayward MD, Breese EL (1968) The genetic organization of natural populations of Lolium perenne III. Productivity. Heredity 23:357–368
Hegmann JP, Dingle H (1982) Phenotypic and genetic covariance structure in milkweed bug life history traits. In: Dingle H, Heggmann JP (eds) Evolution and genetics of life histories. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 177–185 (Proceedings life sciences)
Hoikkala A, Lumme J (1987) The genetic basis of evolution of the male court-ship sounds in the Drosophila virilis group. Evolution 41:827–845
Law R (1979) Ecological determinant in the evolution of life histories. In: Andersen RM, Turner BD, Taylor LR (eds) Population dynamics. Blackwell, London, pp 81–103
Lawrence MJ (1965) Variation in wild populations of Papaver dubium. I. Variation within populations; diallel crosses. Heredity 20:183–204
Lawrence MJ (1984) The genetical analysis of ecological traits. In: Shorrocks B (ed) Evolutionary ecology. Blackwell, Oxford, pp 27–63
Loeschcke V (1987) Genetic constraints on adaptive evolution. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York
Mazer SJ (1987) Parental effects on seed development and seed yield in Raphanus raphistrum: Implications for natural and sexual selection. Evolution 41:355–371
Mitchell-Olds T, Rutledge JJ (1986) Quantitative genetics in natural plant populations: A review of the theory. Am Nat 127:379–402
Pooni HS, Jinks JL, Singh RK (1984) Methods of analysis and the estimation of the genetic parameters from a diallel set of crosses. Heredity 52:243–254
Schaal BA (1984) Life-history variation, natural selection and maternal effects in plant populations. In: Dirzo R, Sarukhan J (eds) Perspectives in plant population ecology. Sinauer, Sunderland/MA, pp 188–206
Schaal BA, Leverich WJ (1987) Genetic constraints on plant adaptive evolution. In: Loeschcke V (ed) Genetic constraints on adaptive evolution. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 173–184
Scheiner SM, Goodnight CJ (1984) The comparison of phenotypic plasticity and genetic variation in populations of the grass Danthonia spicata. Evolution 38:845–855
Schmitt J, Antonovics J (1986) Experimental studies of the evolutionary significance of sexual reproduction. III. Maternal and paternal effects during seedling establishment. Evoltion 40:817–829
Silander JA Jr (1985) The genetic basis of the ecological amplitude of Spartina patens. II. Variance and correlation analysis. Evolution 39:1034–1052
Sokal RR, Rohlf FJ (1981) Biometry. WH Freeman, San Francisco
Stearns SC (1980) A new view of life-history evolution. Oikos 35:266–281
Travis J, Emerson SB, Blouin M (1987) A quantitative-genetic analysis of larval life history traits in Hyla crucifer. Evolution 41:145–156
Van Damme JMM (1983) On gynodioecy in Plantago lanceolata. PhD thesis, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
Van Damme JMM, Van Delden W (1984) Gynodioecy in Plantago lanceolata L. IV. Fitness components of sex type in different life cycle stages. Evolution 38:1326–1336
Van Delden W (1985) The significance of genetic variation in plants as illustrated by Plantago populations. In: Haeck J, Woldendorp JW (eds) Structure and functioning of plant populations II. North Holland, Amsterdam Oxford New York, pp 219–239
Van Dijk H, Van Delden W (1981) Genetic variability in Plantago species in relation to their ecology. 1. Genetic analysis of the allozyme variation in Plantago major subspecies. Theor Appl Genet 60:285–290
Van Groenendael J (1985a) Selection for different life histories in Plantago lanceolata. PhD thesis, University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Van Groenendael J (1985b) Differences in life histories between two ecotypes of Plantago lanceolata L. In: White J (ed) Studies on plant demography. Academic Press, London, pp 51–67
Van Groenendael JMM (1986) Life history characteristics of two ecotypes of Plantago lanceolata L. Acta Bot Neerl 35:71–86
Van Sanford DA, Matzinger DF (1982) Direct and maternal genetic variances and covariances of seedling characters in tobacco. Crop Sci 22:1213–1221
Van der Toorn J, Ten Hove HJ (1982) Variability in some leaf characters in Plantago lanceolata. Proc K Ned Akad Wet 79:45–51
Van der Toorn J, Ten Hove JH, Van Eldijk F (1984) Transplant experiments with Plantago lanceolata. Proc Nat Akad Wet 82:39–44
Venable DL (1984) Using intraspecific variation to study the ecological significance and evolution of plant life-histories. In: Dirzo R, Sarukham J (eds) Perspectives on plant population ecology. Sinauer, Sunderland/MA, pp 166–187
Weis AE, Hollenbach HG, Abrahamson WG (1987) Genetic and maternal effects on seedling characters of Solidago altissima (Compositae). Am J Bot 74:1476–1486
Wolff K (1987) Genetic analysis of ecologically relevant morphological variability in Plantago lanceolata L. 2. Localization and organization of quantitative trait loci. Theor Appl Genet 73:903–914
Wolff K (1988a) Natural selection in Plantago species: a genetical analysis of ecologically relevant morphological variability. PhD thesis, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
Wolff K (1988b) Genetic analysis of ecologically relevant morphological variability in Plantago lanceolata L. 3. Natural selection in an F2 population. Theor Appl Genet 75:772–778
Wolff K, Van Delden W (1987) Genetic analysis of ecological relevant morphological variability in Plantago lanceolata L. I. Population characteristics. Heredity 58:183–192
Wolff K, Van Delden W (1989) Genetic analysis of ecologically relevant morphological variability in Plantago lanceolata L.I.V. Response and correlated response to bidirectional selection for leaf angle. Heredity 62:153–160
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Communicated by P.M.A. Tigerstedt
Grassland Species Research Group Publication No. 146
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wolff, K. Genetic analysis of ecologically relevant morphological variability in Plantago lanceolata L.. Theoret. Appl. Genetics 79, 481–488 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00226157
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00226157