10.5061/DRYAD.B0B68
Sessa, Emily B.
University of Florida
Testo, Weston L.
University of Vermont
Watkins Jr., James E.
Colgate University
Watkins, James E.
Colgate University
Data from: On the widespread capacity for and functional significance of
extreme inbreeding in ferns
Dryad
dataset
2017
selfing
Ferns
homospory
Mating Systems
gametophyte
2017-03-28T00:00:00Z
2017-03-28T00:00:00Z
en
https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.13985
79278 bytes
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CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
Homosporous vascular plants utilize three different mating systems, one of
which, gametophytic selfing, is an extreme form of inbreeding only
possible in homosporous groups. This mating system results in complete
homozygosity in all progeny and has important evolutionary and ecological
implications. Ferns are the largest group of homosporous land plants, and
the significance of extreme inbreeding for fern evolution has been the
subject of debate for decades. We cultured gametophytes in the laboratory
and quantified the relative frequencies of sporophyte production from
isolated and paired gametophytes, and examined associations between
breeding systems and several ecological and evolutionary traits. The
majority of fern species studied show a capacity for gametophytic selfing,
producing sporophytes from both isolated and paired gametophytes. While we
did not follow sporophytes to maturity to investigate potential
detrimental effects of homozygosity at later developmental stages, our
results suggest that gametophytic selfing may have greater significance
for fern evolution and diversification than has previously been realized.
We present evidence from the largest study of mating behavior in ferns to
date that capacity for extreme inbreeding is prevalent in this lineage,
and we discuss its implications and relevance and make recommendations for
future studies of fern mating systems.
Supplementary tables S1 and S2Supplementary tables S1 and S2Dryad upload.xlsx