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Conflicting selection pressures on reproductive functions and speciation in plants

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Abstract

Recent developments in the field of genetic divergence and speciation focus more on diversifying processes than on geographic mode of speciation (i.e. allopatric versus sympatric). Some of these new theories concern speciation driven by conflicts between the sexes. Even though it is well known that the two reproductive functions in plants can have different selective optima, sexual selection in plants is by many assumed to be weak or non-existent. Here we outline potential sexual conflicts in plants and discuss how selection pressures generated by such conflicts may influence genetic divergence. There is opportunity for conflicting selection pressures between individuals, such as manipulative pollen traits that enhance male reproductive success at the expense of the female reproductive function. Within individual plants, fitness of the male function (pollen export) and fitness of the female function (pollen import) may be optimised by different traits, leading to conflicting selection pressures in relation to pollen transfer. This may affect selection for floral specialisation versus floral generalisation in animal-pollinated species. We believe that selection pressures generated by sexual conflict need to be appreciated in order to fully understand microevolutionary processes which may lead to genetic divergence and speciation in plants.

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Acknowledgements

We wish to thank R. Härdling, J. Madjidian, G.P. Svensson, N. Waser and three anonymous reviewers for insightful comments on the manuscript, and participants at the Speciation workshop in Lund, Sweden 2006 for inspiration. This work was supported by a grant from the Swedish Research Council.

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  1. Department of Plant Ecology and Systematics, Lund University, Ecology Building, 22362, Lund, Sweden

    Åsa Lankinen

  2. Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 44, 23053, Alnarp, Sweden

    Mattias C. Larsson

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  1. Åsa Lankinen
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Correspondence to Åsa Lankinen.

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Lankinen, Å., Larsson, M.C. Conflicting selection pressures on reproductive functions and speciation in plants. Evol Ecol 23, 147–157 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10682-007-9227-z

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