Evolution and development of inflorescence architectures - PubMed (original) (raw)

. 2007 Jun 8;316(5830):1452-6.

doi: 10.1126/science.1140429. Epub 2007 May 24.

Affiliations

Evolution and development of inflorescence architectures

Przemyslaw Prusinkiewicz et al. Science. 2007.

Abstract

To understand the constraints on biological diversity, we analyzed how selection and development interact to control the evolution of inflorescences, the branching structures that bear flowers. We show that a single developmental model accounts for the restricted range of inflorescence types observed in nature and that this model is supported by molecular genetic studies. The model predicts associations between inflorescence architecture, climate, and life history, which we validated empirically. Paths, or evolutionary wormholes, link different architectures in a multidimensional fitness space, but the rate of evolution along these paths is constrained by genetic and environmental factors, which explains why some evolutionary transitions are rare between closely related plant taxa.

PubMed Disclaimer

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

LinkOut - more resources