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Orchids have minute seeds and can disperse over long distances. Hedrén et al. use genetic markers to track how the marsh orchid Dactylorhiza majalis ssp. lapponica (Orchidaceae) colonised the Baltic Sea island of Gotland repeatedly (and mostly from the east) after the last ice age. These multiple colonization events have resulted in a mosaic pattern of genetic variation, such that adjacent […] More
Many species exist on isolated habitats connected by dispersal of individuals. The evolutionary dynamics between two interacting species can be strongly influenced by the difference in mobility. Using highly variable genetic markers, Zhou et al. compare the genetic differentiation between a perennial herb, the starry campion Silene stellata (Caryophyllaceae) and its major pollinator moth, Hadena […] More
Dispersal is crucial due to its direct impact on dynamics of a species’ distribution as well as having a role in shaping adaptive potential through gene flow. In plants forming scarce and small populations, knowledge about the dispersal process is required to assess the potential for colonizing new habitats and connectivity of present and future […] More
Human-driven habitat fragmentation leads to spatial isolation of endangered plant species, increasing extinction risk. Understanding genetic variability and population structure of rare and isolated plant species is of great importance for assessing extinction risk and setting up conservation plans. A recent study by Lee et al. published in AoB PLANTS investigates the extinction risk of […] More
Island organisms are generally understood to diverge through geographical (allopatric) speciation. This paradigm, however, might be too simplistic for continental islands that were connected with each other and/or the mainland during Pleistocene low-sea-level periods. Floristic sub-division of the Aegean region (after Rechinger, 1950) into five major zones, namely the Western (WAe), Northern (NAe) and Eastern Aegean […] More
The underlying genetic causes of the switch to apomixes are not yet fully understood, but in Hypericum there is good evidence for the existence of ‘apomictic factors’. More
Maintaining genetic integrity is essential for in situ and ex situ conservation of crop wild relative (CWR) species. However, introgression of crop alleles into CWR species/populations may change their genetic structure and diversity, resulting in more invasive weeds or, in contrast, the extinction of endangered populations. In a recent study published in AoB PLANTS, Jin […] More
Wild olive (Olea europaea subsp. europaea var. sylvestris, aka oleaster) populations are subject to increasing fragmentation and size reduction. Beghè et al. employ microsatellite markers and apply paternity analysis to investigate pollen flow patterns and fine-scale spatial genetic structure for oleaster populations in regions of undisturbed forest in Southern Spain, a hotspot of wild olive […] More
In order to determine whether genetic architecture stems from pre-Pleistocene events or refugia, Chávez-Pesqueira and Núñez-Farfán assess genetic diversity and population dynamics of 19 populations of wild papaya (Carica papaya) from northern Mesoamerica. Phylogenetic analysis using cpDNA markers indicates a lack of a phylogeographic structure, and nuclear markers reveal a recent population structure. This suggests […] More
Flower colour polymorphism in plants had been used as a classic model for understanding the importance of neutral processes versus natural selection in population differentiation. Iris lutescens (Iridaceae) is a widespread species in the northern Mediterranean basin, which shows a stable and striking purple–yellow flower colour polymorphism. Using an extensive sampling over the distribution range […] More
Unexpectedly high levels of molecular diversity are found within populations of Sorbus domestica, irrespective of their location. More
Climate change can have widespread and devastating impacts, but little is known about the effects of this change on the genetics of natural populations. In a new study published in AoB PLANTS, Welt et al. aimed to examine the effect of a climate change event on gene flow over space and time in two populations of […] More
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