Kamil E . Frankiewicz | University of Warsaw (original) (raw)
Papers by Kamil E . Frankiewicz
IAWA Journal
Summary A recurring motif of Carlquist’s work is the identification of traits typical for primary... more Summary A recurring motif of Carlquist’s work is the identification of traits typical for primary xylem of angiosperms as a whole, but found in the secondary xylem of certain species. These traits together make up the ‘Carlquistian syndrome’. Convergent occurrence of the syndrome in plants with similar habits suggests its adaptive value. One of its components — raylessness — has received the most attention and has been regarded as the result of selection favouring stem rigidity. However, how raylessness (or the Carlquistian syndrome in general) arises ontogenetically has been little studied. Here, we report that in some plants secondary xylem resembles primary xylem of the same individual, and not that of angiosperms in general as observed by Carlquist. Based on literature and microslide surveys, we identified this prolongation of primary xylem patterns into secondary xylem in most major clades of non-monocot angiosperms, including magnoliids, asterids and rosids.
Kosmos, May 6, 2022
Słowa kluczowe: anatomia drewna, ewolucja formy życiowej, wtórna drzewiastość, zdrewnienie wyspow... more Słowa kluczowe: anatomia drewna, ewolucja formy życiowej, wtórna drzewiastość, zdrewnienie wyspowe *Artykuł został napisany w oparciu o anglojęzyczną rozprawę doktorską Kamila E. Frankiewicza w ramach projektu kierowanego przez profesora Krzysztofa Spalika (finansowanie ze środków Narodowego Centrum Nauki 2015/19/B/ NZ8/00163). Publikacja powstała przy wsparciu finansowym uzyskanym z Programu zintegrowanych działań na rzecz rozwoju Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego (ZIP), współfinansowanego ze środków Europejskiego Funduszu Społecznego w ramach Programu Operacyjnego Wiedza Edukacja Rozwój 2014-2020, ścieżka 3.5 (dla K. E. Frankiewicza).
Additional file 4. Plots of 95% confidence intervals for the difference of means in the first (PC... more Additional file 4. Plots of 95% confidence intervals for the difference of means in the first (PC1) and the second (PC2) primary components back-projected onto average mean annual precipitation and temperature dimensions of the bioclimatic space between pairs of genera.
Additional file 2. Maximum likelihood phylogenetic trees with bootstrap values.
Journal of Experimental Botany, 2019
Maize is a cold-sensitive species, but selective breeding programs have recently succeeded in pro... more Maize is a cold-sensitive species, but selective breeding programs have recently succeeded in producing plants strikingly well adapted to the cold springs of a temperate climate, showing the potential for improved cold tolerance. The aim of the present study was to determine whether the adaptation of some inbred lines to spring chills is due to their increased true cold tolerance or whether it only represents an avoidance mechanism, which was the sole mode of adaptation during early stages of agricultural dispersal of maize towards higher latitudes. By characterizing numerous physiological features of several lines of different cold sensitivity, we show that a combination of both avoidance and tolerance is involved. A novel avoidance mechanism was found that favored unhindered development of the photosynthetic apparatus through protection of the shoot apex below soil level due to a shortened mesocotyl. It seems to be mediated by increased seedling photosensitivity at early growth stages. True tolerance involved improved protection of the cell membrane against cold injury at temperatures close to 0 °C and stimulation of light-induced processes (accumulation of anthocyanins, carotenoids, and chlorophyll, proper development of chloroplasts) at temperatures in the range of 10-14 °C, likely also related to the increased photosensitivity and mediated by gibberellin signaling.
Additional file 3. Detailed wood descriptions.
Additional file 1. Accession table of specimens used in this study.
Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2021
Factors influencing diversification rates may be of intrinsic (e.g. morphological novelties) or e... more Factors influencing diversification rates may be of intrinsic (e.g. morphological novelties) or extrinsic (e.g. long-distance dispersal, availability of ecological niches) nature. Growth habit may influence diversification rates because herbaceous plants often have shorter generation times and a more pronounced r reproductive strategy than their woody relatives. We examined life history and habit evolution, wood anatomy and biogeographical history of Apiaceae tribe Apieae in conjunction with diversification rate analysis to explore which factors may have affected clade species richness and to elucidate the constraints on the evolution of secondary woodiness in this group. We demonstrate that diversification rates are similar in morphologically homogeneous and diverse clades and in herbaceous and woody lineages. The only clade with a significantly elevated diversification rate is Southern Hemisphere Apium, in which diversity probably resulted from several long-distance dispersal even...
IAWA Journal
Apioideae is the biggest and the most diverse of four subfamilies recognised within Apiaceae. Exc... more Apioideae is the biggest and the most diverse of four subfamilies recognised within Apiaceae. Except for a few, likely derived, woody clades, most representatives of this subfamily are herbaceous. In the present study, we assessed stem anatomy of 87, mostly therophytic and hemicryptophytic, species from at least 20 distinct lineages of Apioideae, and juxtaposed them with 67 species from our previous anatomical projects also focused on this subfamily. Comparing our data with the literature, we found that wood anatomy does not allow for a distinction between apioids and their close relatives (Azorelloideae, Saniculoideae), but more distantly related Mackinlayoideae differ from Apioideae in their perforation plate type. Vessel element and fibre length, and vessel diameter were positively correlated with plant height: phenomena already reported in literature. Similar pattern was retrieved for vertical intervessel pit diameter. Wood ground tissue in apioids ranges from entirely fibrous t...
Background One of the major trends in angiosperm evolution was the shift from woody to herbaceous... more Background One of the major trends in angiosperm evolution was the shift from woody to herbaceous habit. However, reversals known as derived woodiness have also been reported in numerous, distantly related clades. Among theories evoked to explain the factors promoting the evolution of derived woodiness are moderate climate theory and cavitation theory. The first assumes that woody habit evolves in response to mild climate allowing for prolonged life span, which in turn leads to bigger and woodier bodies. The second sees woodiness as a result of natural selection for higher cavitation resistance in seasonally dry environments. Here, we compare climatic niches of woody and herbaceous, mostly southern African, umbellifers from the Lefebvrea clade to assess whether woody taxa in fact occur in markedly drier habitats. We also calibrate their phylogeny to estimate when derived woodiness evolved. Finally, we describe the wood anatomy of selected woody and herbaceous taxa to see if life for...
The Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology
Rongorongo is a non-deciphered writing system from Rapa Nui (Easter Island). Because the island w... more Rongorongo is a non-deciphered writing system from Rapa Nui (Easter Island). Because the island was isolated from the outside world until relatively recently, rongorongo has the potential of being one of only a few instances in human history of an independent invention of writing. However, no scientific consensus exists regarding the time span for when rongorongo was used. Its cessation in the 1860s is well-known but its origins are not. Here, we report on detailed analysis of one of the 23 existing rongorongo artifacts-the Berlin Tablet-including botanical wood identification, radiocarbon dating, and photogrammetric study. The wood used to create the tablet was identified as Pacific rosewood, Thespesia populnea, a species that once grew on Rapa Nui, which counters previous theories that the tablet was made from salvaged driftwood. The radiocarbon date, adjusted in accordance to the ethnographic data, suggests that the tablet was made some time between ca. AD 1830 and 1870. Prior to its collection, the tablet had spent a significant amount of time within a cave context that destroyed around 90% of its content. The text is estimated to have been over 5000 signs long, more than double the length of the next longest rongorongo text.
Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2021
Factors influencing diversification rates may be of intrinsic (e.g. morphological novelties) or e... more Factors influencing diversification rates may be of intrinsic (e.g. morphological novelties) or extrinsic (e.g. long-distance dispersal, availability of ecological niches) nature. Growth habit may influence diversification rates because herbaceous plants often have shorter generation times and a more pronounced r reproductive strategy than their woody relatives. We examined life history and habit evolution, wood anatomy and biogeographical history of Apiaceae tribe Apieae in conjunction with diversification rate analysis to explore which factors may have affected clade species richness and to elucidate the constraints on the evolution of secondary woodiness in this group. We demonstrate that diversification rates are similar in morphologically homogeneous and diverse clades and in herbaceous and woody lineages. The only clade with a significantly elevated diversification rate is Southern Hemisphere Apium, in which diversity probably resulted from several long-distance dispersal events. We also show that wood anatomy in herbaceous and woody species does not differ considerably regardless of their continental or insular origin, but it is affected by stem architecture and plant reproductive strategy. As the taxonomy of Apieae suffers from inflation with numerous monotypic genera, we propose to include Canaria in Rutheopsis, and Foeniculum, Schoenoselinum, Ridolfia and Pseudoridolfia in Anethum.
IAWA Journal, 2020
Wood anatomy of Buddleja is well-explored but not in many southern African members, which form a ... more Wood anatomy of Buddleja is well-explored but not in many southern African members, which form a grade of species and small clades that form successive sister groups to the rest of the genus, and its bark structure has not been studied at all. We provide new descriptions of wood anatomy for twelve species, including nearly all Buddleja from southern Africa and two species of Freylinia in the sister group of Buddleja. We also describe bark structure from fifteen species. To assess if wood anatomy provides phylogenetic and/or ecological signal, we compiled data on wood traits and climatic variables from the distributions of 53 species. Wood traits counteracting cavitation correlated with higher temperature and precipitation seasonality; simultaneously they were better expressed in species with smaller max- imal plant height. It is likely that hotter and drier areas harbour smaller plants which have traits conveying higher conductance safety. Bark structure varies considerably. In bark of Buddleja section Gomphostigma, periderm is ini- tiated in the outer cortex and develops thin-walled phellem, and sclerification of their phloem does not occur. This resembles bark in Freylinia, supporting the position of section Gomphostigma as sister to the rest of Buddleja. In the remaining Buddleja species, bark is characterised by formation of periderm with phelloid cells in the secondary phloem. The phellem is often uniseriate, a condition not reported elsewhere. Its formation occurs close in time to solid sclerification of the cut-off phloem, suggesting a possible novel ontogenetic mechanism.
American Journal of Botany
Woodiness was most likely ancestral within angiosperms, and the shift from trees and shrubs to he... more Woodiness was most likely ancestral within angiosperms, and the shift from trees and shrubs to herbs has long been considered a major trend in the evolution of flowering plants (e.g., Sinnott and Bailey, 1915); however, a large body of evidence suggests that the opposite is also possible and that many woody taxa in various angiosperm lineages originated from herbaceous ancestors (reviewed, e.g., by Dulin and Kirchoff, 2010). Phenomenon of such evolutionary reversal, known as secondary or (phylogenetically) derived woodiness, is often associated with insular woodiness, i.e., the tendency of herbaceous plants to evolve into rosette trees, shrubs, and other arborescent life forms after dispersal to islands. Both phenomena, and especially insular woodiness, have been extensively discussed since the 19th century, and numerous hypotheses have been proposed to explain them (e.g., Darwin, 1859; Wallace, 1878; Carlquist, 1974). Darwin suggested increased competition between herbaceous species favoring taller individuals; Carlquist (1974) postulated that moderate climates with low seasonality and/or the absence of large herbivores may be responsible for the shift; and recently, Lens et al. (2013b) and Dória et al. (2018) considered drought adaptation to be the trigger because derived woody stems have higher embolism resistance than herbaceous relatives. Each of those hypotheses has its limitations; moreover, they are not mutually exclusive. To the contrary, a single causal scenario explaining all cases of derived woodiness is unlikely (Kidner et al., 2015; Carlquist, 2017). Therefore, to explain the evolution of insular woodiness more synthetic studies combining anatomical and ecological approaches with robust phylogenetic background are needed. Attempts to discover anatomical features that distinguish derived woody plants from ancestral woody ones led to the theory
Plant Systematics and Evolution
Apiaceae tribe Scandiceae includes species with diverse fruits that depending upon their morpholo... more Apiaceae tribe Scandiceae includes species with diverse fruits that depending upon their morphology are dispersed by gravity, carried away by wind, or transported attached to animal fur or feathers. This diversity is particularly evident in Scandiceae subtribe Daucinae, a group encompassing species with wings or spines developing on fruit secondary ribs. In this paper, we explore fruit evolution in 86 representatives of Scandiceae and outgroups to assess adaptive shifts related to the evolutionary switch between anemochory and epizoochory and to identify possible dispersal syndromes, i.e., patterns of covariation of morphological and life-history traits that are associated with a particular vector. We also assess the phylogenetic signal in fruit traits. Principal component analysis of 16 quantitative fruit characters and of plant height did not clearly separate species having different dispersal strategies as estimated based on fruit appendages. Only presumed anemochory was weakly associated with plant height and the flattening of mericarps with their accompanying anatomical changes. We conclude that in Scandiceae, there are no distinct dispersal syndromes, but a continuum of fruit morphologies relying on different dispersal vectors. Phylogenetic mapping of ten discrete fruit characters on trees inferred by nrDNA ITS and cpDNA sequence data revealed that all are homoplastic and of limited use for the delimitation of genera. Spines evolved from wings developing on secondary ribs. We hypothesize that spines cannot form on primary ribs because these contain vascular bundles that may constrain such a transformation. We describe a new subtribe for Artedia and propose three new combinations in Daucus.
Journal of Experimental Botany, 2019
Maize is a cold-sensitive species, but selective breeding programs have recently succeeded in pro... more Maize is a cold-sensitive species, but selective breeding programs have recently succeeded in producing plants strikingly well adapted to the cold springs of a temperate climate, showing the potential for improved cold tolerance. The aim of the present study was to determine whether the adaptation of some inbred lines to spring chills is due to their increased true cold tolerance or whether it only represents an avoidance mechanism, which was the sole mode of adaptation during early stages of agricultural dispersal of maize towards higher latitudes. By characterizing numerous physiological features of several lines of different cold sensitivity, we show that a combination of both avoidance and tolerance is involved. A novel avoidance mechanism was found that favored unhindered development of the photosynthetic apparatus through protection of the shoot apex below soil level due to a shortened mesocotyl. It seems to be mediated by increased seedling photosensitivity at early growth stages. True tolerance involved improved protection of the cell membrane against cold injury at temperatures close to 0 °C and stimulation of light-induced processes (accumulation of anthocyanins, carotenoids, and chlorophyll, proper development of chloroplasts) at temperatures in the range of 10-14 °C, likely also related to the increased photosensitivity and mediated by gibberellin signaling.
Thesis Chapters by Kamil E . Frankiewicz
Cytoplasmic cell-to-cell connections are known primarily from plants. Analogical structures occur... more Cytoplasmic cell-to-cell connections are known primarily from plants. Analogical structures occur amongst algae and fungi, which have a cell wall in common. Last years brought some information about how archeal, bacterial and animals’ connections are built. There have been nanotubes discovered recently amongst bacteria, which allow intercellular transport of DNA. Another type of connections are microplasmodesmata (mPD) found in Cyanobacteria, but they don’t provide symplastic continuity. Archea don’t have any type of permanent intercellular connections. Animals’ cells connect their cytoplasms using gap junctions and tunnelling nanotubes. Probably similiarities between cytoplasmic connections amongst different groups emerge from independent cooptation of the same cellular structures and mechanical constraints.
IAWA Journal
Summary A recurring motif of Carlquist’s work is the identification of traits typical for primary... more Summary A recurring motif of Carlquist’s work is the identification of traits typical for primary xylem of angiosperms as a whole, but found in the secondary xylem of certain species. These traits together make up the ‘Carlquistian syndrome’. Convergent occurrence of the syndrome in plants with similar habits suggests its adaptive value. One of its components — raylessness — has received the most attention and has been regarded as the result of selection favouring stem rigidity. However, how raylessness (or the Carlquistian syndrome in general) arises ontogenetically has been little studied. Here, we report that in some plants secondary xylem resembles primary xylem of the same individual, and not that of angiosperms in general as observed by Carlquist. Based on literature and microslide surveys, we identified this prolongation of primary xylem patterns into secondary xylem in most major clades of non-monocot angiosperms, including magnoliids, asterids and rosids.
Kosmos, May 6, 2022
Słowa kluczowe: anatomia drewna, ewolucja formy życiowej, wtórna drzewiastość, zdrewnienie wyspow... more Słowa kluczowe: anatomia drewna, ewolucja formy życiowej, wtórna drzewiastość, zdrewnienie wyspowe *Artykuł został napisany w oparciu o anglojęzyczną rozprawę doktorską Kamila E. Frankiewicza w ramach projektu kierowanego przez profesora Krzysztofa Spalika (finansowanie ze środków Narodowego Centrum Nauki 2015/19/B/ NZ8/00163). Publikacja powstała przy wsparciu finansowym uzyskanym z Programu zintegrowanych działań na rzecz rozwoju Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego (ZIP), współfinansowanego ze środków Europejskiego Funduszu Społecznego w ramach Programu Operacyjnego Wiedza Edukacja Rozwój 2014-2020, ścieżka 3.5 (dla K. E. Frankiewicza).
Additional file 4. Plots of 95% confidence intervals for the difference of means in the first (PC... more Additional file 4. Plots of 95% confidence intervals for the difference of means in the first (PC1) and the second (PC2) primary components back-projected onto average mean annual precipitation and temperature dimensions of the bioclimatic space between pairs of genera.
Additional file 2. Maximum likelihood phylogenetic trees with bootstrap values.
Journal of Experimental Botany, 2019
Maize is a cold-sensitive species, but selective breeding programs have recently succeeded in pro... more Maize is a cold-sensitive species, but selective breeding programs have recently succeeded in producing plants strikingly well adapted to the cold springs of a temperate climate, showing the potential for improved cold tolerance. The aim of the present study was to determine whether the adaptation of some inbred lines to spring chills is due to their increased true cold tolerance or whether it only represents an avoidance mechanism, which was the sole mode of adaptation during early stages of agricultural dispersal of maize towards higher latitudes. By characterizing numerous physiological features of several lines of different cold sensitivity, we show that a combination of both avoidance and tolerance is involved. A novel avoidance mechanism was found that favored unhindered development of the photosynthetic apparatus through protection of the shoot apex below soil level due to a shortened mesocotyl. It seems to be mediated by increased seedling photosensitivity at early growth stages. True tolerance involved improved protection of the cell membrane against cold injury at temperatures close to 0 °C and stimulation of light-induced processes (accumulation of anthocyanins, carotenoids, and chlorophyll, proper development of chloroplasts) at temperatures in the range of 10-14 °C, likely also related to the increased photosensitivity and mediated by gibberellin signaling.
Additional file 3. Detailed wood descriptions.
Additional file 1. Accession table of specimens used in this study.
Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2021
Factors influencing diversification rates may be of intrinsic (e.g. morphological novelties) or e... more Factors influencing diversification rates may be of intrinsic (e.g. morphological novelties) or extrinsic (e.g. long-distance dispersal, availability of ecological niches) nature. Growth habit may influence diversification rates because herbaceous plants often have shorter generation times and a more pronounced r reproductive strategy than their woody relatives. We examined life history and habit evolution, wood anatomy and biogeographical history of Apiaceae tribe Apieae in conjunction with diversification rate analysis to explore which factors may have affected clade species richness and to elucidate the constraints on the evolution of secondary woodiness in this group. We demonstrate that diversification rates are similar in morphologically homogeneous and diverse clades and in herbaceous and woody lineages. The only clade with a significantly elevated diversification rate is Southern Hemisphere Apium, in which diversity probably resulted from several long-distance dispersal even...
IAWA Journal
Apioideae is the biggest and the most diverse of four subfamilies recognised within Apiaceae. Exc... more Apioideae is the biggest and the most diverse of four subfamilies recognised within Apiaceae. Except for a few, likely derived, woody clades, most representatives of this subfamily are herbaceous. In the present study, we assessed stem anatomy of 87, mostly therophytic and hemicryptophytic, species from at least 20 distinct lineages of Apioideae, and juxtaposed them with 67 species from our previous anatomical projects also focused on this subfamily. Comparing our data with the literature, we found that wood anatomy does not allow for a distinction between apioids and their close relatives (Azorelloideae, Saniculoideae), but more distantly related Mackinlayoideae differ from Apioideae in their perforation plate type. Vessel element and fibre length, and vessel diameter were positively correlated with plant height: phenomena already reported in literature. Similar pattern was retrieved for vertical intervessel pit diameter. Wood ground tissue in apioids ranges from entirely fibrous t...
Background One of the major trends in angiosperm evolution was the shift from woody to herbaceous... more Background One of the major trends in angiosperm evolution was the shift from woody to herbaceous habit. However, reversals known as derived woodiness have also been reported in numerous, distantly related clades. Among theories evoked to explain the factors promoting the evolution of derived woodiness are moderate climate theory and cavitation theory. The first assumes that woody habit evolves in response to mild climate allowing for prolonged life span, which in turn leads to bigger and woodier bodies. The second sees woodiness as a result of natural selection for higher cavitation resistance in seasonally dry environments. Here, we compare climatic niches of woody and herbaceous, mostly southern African, umbellifers from the Lefebvrea clade to assess whether woody taxa in fact occur in markedly drier habitats. We also calibrate their phylogeny to estimate when derived woodiness evolved. Finally, we describe the wood anatomy of selected woody and herbaceous taxa to see if life for...
The Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology
Rongorongo is a non-deciphered writing system from Rapa Nui (Easter Island). Because the island w... more Rongorongo is a non-deciphered writing system from Rapa Nui (Easter Island). Because the island was isolated from the outside world until relatively recently, rongorongo has the potential of being one of only a few instances in human history of an independent invention of writing. However, no scientific consensus exists regarding the time span for when rongorongo was used. Its cessation in the 1860s is well-known but its origins are not. Here, we report on detailed analysis of one of the 23 existing rongorongo artifacts-the Berlin Tablet-including botanical wood identification, radiocarbon dating, and photogrammetric study. The wood used to create the tablet was identified as Pacific rosewood, Thespesia populnea, a species that once grew on Rapa Nui, which counters previous theories that the tablet was made from salvaged driftwood. The radiocarbon date, adjusted in accordance to the ethnographic data, suggests that the tablet was made some time between ca. AD 1830 and 1870. Prior to its collection, the tablet had spent a significant amount of time within a cave context that destroyed around 90% of its content. The text is estimated to have been over 5000 signs long, more than double the length of the next longest rongorongo text.
Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2021
Factors influencing diversification rates may be of intrinsic (e.g. morphological novelties) or e... more Factors influencing diversification rates may be of intrinsic (e.g. morphological novelties) or extrinsic (e.g. long-distance dispersal, availability of ecological niches) nature. Growth habit may influence diversification rates because herbaceous plants often have shorter generation times and a more pronounced r reproductive strategy than their woody relatives. We examined life history and habit evolution, wood anatomy and biogeographical history of Apiaceae tribe Apieae in conjunction with diversification rate analysis to explore which factors may have affected clade species richness and to elucidate the constraints on the evolution of secondary woodiness in this group. We demonstrate that diversification rates are similar in morphologically homogeneous and diverse clades and in herbaceous and woody lineages. The only clade with a significantly elevated diversification rate is Southern Hemisphere Apium, in which diversity probably resulted from several long-distance dispersal events. We also show that wood anatomy in herbaceous and woody species does not differ considerably regardless of their continental or insular origin, but it is affected by stem architecture and plant reproductive strategy. As the taxonomy of Apieae suffers from inflation with numerous monotypic genera, we propose to include Canaria in Rutheopsis, and Foeniculum, Schoenoselinum, Ridolfia and Pseudoridolfia in Anethum.
IAWA Journal, 2020
Wood anatomy of Buddleja is well-explored but not in many southern African members, which form a ... more Wood anatomy of Buddleja is well-explored but not in many southern African members, which form a grade of species and small clades that form successive sister groups to the rest of the genus, and its bark structure has not been studied at all. We provide new descriptions of wood anatomy for twelve species, including nearly all Buddleja from southern Africa and two species of Freylinia in the sister group of Buddleja. We also describe bark structure from fifteen species. To assess if wood anatomy provides phylogenetic and/or ecological signal, we compiled data on wood traits and climatic variables from the distributions of 53 species. Wood traits counteracting cavitation correlated with higher temperature and precipitation seasonality; simultaneously they were better expressed in species with smaller max- imal plant height. It is likely that hotter and drier areas harbour smaller plants which have traits conveying higher conductance safety. Bark structure varies considerably. In bark of Buddleja section Gomphostigma, periderm is ini- tiated in the outer cortex and develops thin-walled phellem, and sclerification of their phloem does not occur. This resembles bark in Freylinia, supporting the position of section Gomphostigma as sister to the rest of Buddleja. In the remaining Buddleja species, bark is characterised by formation of periderm with phelloid cells in the secondary phloem. The phellem is often uniseriate, a condition not reported elsewhere. Its formation occurs close in time to solid sclerification of the cut-off phloem, suggesting a possible novel ontogenetic mechanism.
American Journal of Botany
Woodiness was most likely ancestral within angiosperms, and the shift from trees and shrubs to he... more Woodiness was most likely ancestral within angiosperms, and the shift from trees and shrubs to herbs has long been considered a major trend in the evolution of flowering plants (e.g., Sinnott and Bailey, 1915); however, a large body of evidence suggests that the opposite is also possible and that many woody taxa in various angiosperm lineages originated from herbaceous ancestors (reviewed, e.g., by Dulin and Kirchoff, 2010). Phenomenon of such evolutionary reversal, known as secondary or (phylogenetically) derived woodiness, is often associated with insular woodiness, i.e., the tendency of herbaceous plants to evolve into rosette trees, shrubs, and other arborescent life forms after dispersal to islands. Both phenomena, and especially insular woodiness, have been extensively discussed since the 19th century, and numerous hypotheses have been proposed to explain them (e.g., Darwin, 1859; Wallace, 1878; Carlquist, 1974). Darwin suggested increased competition between herbaceous species favoring taller individuals; Carlquist (1974) postulated that moderate climates with low seasonality and/or the absence of large herbivores may be responsible for the shift; and recently, Lens et al. (2013b) and Dória et al. (2018) considered drought adaptation to be the trigger because derived woody stems have higher embolism resistance than herbaceous relatives. Each of those hypotheses has its limitations; moreover, they are not mutually exclusive. To the contrary, a single causal scenario explaining all cases of derived woodiness is unlikely (Kidner et al., 2015; Carlquist, 2017). Therefore, to explain the evolution of insular woodiness more synthetic studies combining anatomical and ecological approaches with robust phylogenetic background are needed. Attempts to discover anatomical features that distinguish derived woody plants from ancestral woody ones led to the theory
Plant Systematics and Evolution
Apiaceae tribe Scandiceae includes species with diverse fruits that depending upon their morpholo... more Apiaceae tribe Scandiceae includes species with diverse fruits that depending upon their morphology are dispersed by gravity, carried away by wind, or transported attached to animal fur or feathers. This diversity is particularly evident in Scandiceae subtribe Daucinae, a group encompassing species with wings or spines developing on fruit secondary ribs. In this paper, we explore fruit evolution in 86 representatives of Scandiceae and outgroups to assess adaptive shifts related to the evolutionary switch between anemochory and epizoochory and to identify possible dispersal syndromes, i.e., patterns of covariation of morphological and life-history traits that are associated with a particular vector. We also assess the phylogenetic signal in fruit traits. Principal component analysis of 16 quantitative fruit characters and of plant height did not clearly separate species having different dispersal strategies as estimated based on fruit appendages. Only presumed anemochory was weakly associated with plant height and the flattening of mericarps with their accompanying anatomical changes. We conclude that in Scandiceae, there are no distinct dispersal syndromes, but a continuum of fruit morphologies relying on different dispersal vectors. Phylogenetic mapping of ten discrete fruit characters on trees inferred by nrDNA ITS and cpDNA sequence data revealed that all are homoplastic and of limited use for the delimitation of genera. Spines evolved from wings developing on secondary ribs. We hypothesize that spines cannot form on primary ribs because these contain vascular bundles that may constrain such a transformation. We describe a new subtribe for Artedia and propose three new combinations in Daucus.
Journal of Experimental Botany, 2019
Maize is a cold-sensitive species, but selective breeding programs have recently succeeded in pro... more Maize is a cold-sensitive species, but selective breeding programs have recently succeeded in producing plants strikingly well adapted to the cold springs of a temperate climate, showing the potential for improved cold tolerance. The aim of the present study was to determine whether the adaptation of some inbred lines to spring chills is due to their increased true cold tolerance or whether it only represents an avoidance mechanism, which was the sole mode of adaptation during early stages of agricultural dispersal of maize towards higher latitudes. By characterizing numerous physiological features of several lines of different cold sensitivity, we show that a combination of both avoidance and tolerance is involved. A novel avoidance mechanism was found that favored unhindered development of the photosynthetic apparatus through protection of the shoot apex below soil level due to a shortened mesocotyl. It seems to be mediated by increased seedling photosensitivity at early growth stages. True tolerance involved improved protection of the cell membrane against cold injury at temperatures close to 0 °C and stimulation of light-induced processes (accumulation of anthocyanins, carotenoids, and chlorophyll, proper development of chloroplasts) at temperatures in the range of 10-14 °C, likely also related to the increased photosensitivity and mediated by gibberellin signaling.
Cytoplasmic cell-to-cell connections are known primarily from plants. Analogical structures occur... more Cytoplasmic cell-to-cell connections are known primarily from plants. Analogical structures occur amongst algae and fungi, which have a cell wall in common. Last years brought some information about how archeal, bacterial and animals’ connections are built. There have been nanotubes discovered recently amongst bacteria, which allow intercellular transport of DNA. Another type of connections are microplasmodesmata (mPD) found in Cyanobacteria, but they don’t provide symplastic continuity. Archea don’t have any type of permanent intercellular connections. Animals’ cells connect their cytoplasms using gap junctions and tunnelling nanotubes. Probably similiarities between cytoplasmic connections amongst different groups emerge from independent cooptation of the same cellular structures and mechanical constraints.