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Honors Thesis_Svea Hall.pdf (11.83 MB)

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CORRELATION BETWEEN SHIFTS IN LOBELIA SPECIES’ FLORAL MORPHOLOGY AND HYBRIDIZATION RISK DUE TO SYMPATRY

Hall, Svea
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ksuhonors1682883966449286

Abstract Details

2023, BS, Kent State University, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Biological Sciences.
In North America, the genus Lobelia includes several very similar species that also usually have very high degrees of overlap; most species are sympatric, often with five or more species (Spaulding and Barger, 2016). These geographically-overlapping species also often have overlapping reproductive seasons, which means that they do not experience geographic or temporal isolation. However, despite this lack of isolation and their similarity, the species have remained distinct. This suggests that there is another isolating mechanism that prevents hybridization, possibly morphological shifts in populations that are at a higher risk for hybridization due to sympatry. To test this, I measured 50+ floral traits for 223 flowers from 20 species of North American Lobelias. I used this data to compare the floral morphologies between sympatric and allopatric populations. I calculated the amount of sympatry and the type of morphological change in several different ways, but in every one, I found that there was a large difference between flowers from sympatric and allopatric populations. I also tested the species-specific effect of sympatry, or whether living with specific species would affect a flower in different ways. I found strong evidence that the effect of sympatry is very different if that sympatry is with L. cardinalis or L. inflata, likely due to the fact that neither species can hybridize; L. inflata is exclusively self-pollinating and L. cardinalis is the only bird-pollinated species. There is little existing research into the effects of different types of sympatry on Lobelia floral morphology, so I hope future research will continue to investigate these interactions.
Andrea Case (Advisor)
David Ward (Committee Member)
Linda Spurlock (Committee Member)
Mark Kershner (Committee Member)
53 p.
Biology
Biology; Lobelia; sympatry; allopatry; hybridization; floral morphology; divergent selection; pollinator selection

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Hall, S. (2023). CORRELATION BETWEEN SHIFTS IN LOBELIA SPECIES’ FLORAL MORPHOLOGY AND HYBRIDIZATION RISK DUE TO SYMPATRY [Undergraduate thesis, Kent State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ksuhonors1682883966449286

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Hall, Svea. CORRELATION BETWEEN SHIFTS IN LOBELIA SPECIES’ FLORAL MORPHOLOGY AND HYBRIDIZATION RISK DUE TO SYMPATRY. 2023. Kent State University, Undergraduate thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ksuhonors1682883966449286.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Hall, Svea. "CORRELATION BETWEEN SHIFTS IN LOBELIA SPECIES’ FLORAL MORPHOLOGY AND HYBRIDIZATION RISK DUE TO SYMPATRY." Undergraduate thesis, Kent State University, 2023. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ksuhonors1682883966449286

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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This open access ETD is published by Kent State University Honors College and OhioLINK.