April 6, 2021

12:00pm Zoom

Anthony Baniaga
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University

" Niche Divergence in Polyploid Plants "

Co-Sponsored Seminar Presented by UCLA’s Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and the Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden

Polyploidy or whole genome duplication is a common mutation and important evolutionary process for vascular plants. Polyploid plant species are often recognized by their vigorous growth, larger organs, and altered phenologies. Additionally they often have different ecological tolerances and inhabit different geographic distributions than their progenitors. I present two research projects centered on understanding niche divergence in polyploid plant species. First, drawing upon biogeographic data from across vascular plants I examine the importance of ecological niche differentiation to polyploid speciation. Second, I highlight more recent efforts to understand how polyploidy might affect ecological niche differentiation through studying the ecophysiological tolerances of sympatric tetraploid and octoploid Viburnum species found on coastal islands and lowlands off the northeastern U.S.

Host: Victoria Sork