Evol Ecol Res 11: 1031-1051 (2009) Full PDF if your library subscribes.
Post-pollination processes and non-random mating among compatible mates
Lauren G. Ruane
Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
Correspondence: L.G. Ruane, Department of Biology, Chemistry and Environmental Science, Christopher Newport University, 1 University Place, Newport News, VA 23606, USA.
e-mail: lauren.ruane@cnu.eduABSTRACT
Questions: What factors determine the degree of non-random mating that occurs among compatible donors following pollination? Do species with longer styles exhibit greater inequalities in seed siring success among pollen donors? Does increased gametophytic competition (i.e. higher ratio of pollen load size to ovule number) lead to greater inequality in seed siring success among pollen donors? Are particular life-history traits (i.e. animal- vs. wind-pollinated species or wild vs. cultivated species) associated with greater inequality in seed siring among pollen donors?
Data incorporated: I summarize the results of 51 studies that assessed the paternity of seeds produced following experimental pollinations in which pollen grains from two or more compatible donors competed for ovule fertilization.
Method of analysis: Data from multiple studies were combined to determine the effects of style length, ratio of pollen load size to ovule number, and life-history traits on the degree of non-random mating among compatible mates.
Conclusions: Style length had the strongest association with non-random mating. Surprisingly, species with shorter styles exhibited a significantly greater inequality in seed siring success among pollen donors. The degree of non-random mating due to post-pollination processes was not affected by the intensity of gametophytic competition or by life-history traits.
Keywords: gametophytic competition, pollen siring success, post-pollination performance, ratio of pollen load size to ovule number, style length.
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