Assortative Mating and Plant Phenology: Evolutionary and Practical Consequences
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2003
Keywords
flowering, life-history evolution, population genetics, timing
Abstract
Variation in mating phenology causes assortative mating for phenological traits. Here I show that this assortative mating can be strong, as it is caused not only by periods of non-overlap in flowering, but also by variation in the composition of the mating pool during periods of overlap. Using a one-locus, two-allele model, I show that this temporal assortative mating can: (1) lead to declines in mean fitness under balancing selection, including fixation of one allele; (2) strongly affect the rate of response to directional selection; and (3) determine the boundaries of the basins of attraction under disruptive selection. These results suggest that the evolution of phenological traits – and traits functionally coupled with them – may be more complex than we have generally thought. They also suggest caution in interpreting the results of studies (e.g. quantitative genetic studies) that assume randomly mating populations.
Was this content written or created while at USF?
Yes
Citation / Publisher Attribution
Evolutionary Ecology Research. v. 5, p. 1-18
Scholar Commons Citation
Fox, Gordon A., "Assortative Mating and Plant Phenology: Evolutionary and Practical Consequences" (2003). Integrative Biology Faculty and Staff Publications. 82.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/bin_facpub/82
