Examining Drivers Of Phenotypic Variation In The Perennial Herb Showy Milkweed (Asclepias Speciosa).
Graduation Year
2017
Graduation Month
December
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science
School or Department
Biological Sciences, Division of
Major
Biology – Ecology and Organismal Biology
Faculty Mentor Department
Biological Sciences, Division of
Faculty Mentor
Lila Fishman
Keywords
Milkweed, local adaptation, qst fst, asclepias speciosa
Subject Categories
Biology | Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Abstract
Many plant species show variation in phenotypic traits, such as traits related to growth and defense against herbivores, across environmental gradients. Differences in phenotypic traits can be due to selection, leading to local adaptation, or due to the random process of genetic drift. To examine the driver of phenotypic variation, I conducted a Qst (a measure of phenotypic variation among populations) vs. Fst (a measure of genetic variation among populations) analysis for 13 populations of A. speciosa grown in a common garden, using five growth and defense traits and seven microsatellite markers. I found relatively low differentiation at the neutral markers (mean Fst = 0.005), and population differentiation of plant height, leaf shape, and latex production traits (but not trichome density or specific leaf area). These results suggest that the three highly differentiated growth and defense traits are responding to population-specific selection pressures, indicating local adaptation of A. speciosa distributed across an environmental gradient.
Honors College Research Project
1
Recommended Citation
Sussman, Kira I., "Examining Drivers Of Phenotypic Variation In The Perennial Herb Showy Milkweed (Asclepias Speciosa)." (2017). Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts. 182.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/utpp/182
Included in
© Copyright 2017 Kira I. Sussman