Hannah Tavalire ACF Abstract FY10
"Genetic Impacts on Invasive Potential: A Pilot Study in Myriophyllum Species"
Conference Name: Society for the Study of Evolution (SSE), the Society of Systematic Biologists (SSB), and the American Society of Naturalists (ASN) Joint Annual Meeting: Evolution 2010
Many studies and conceptual papers cite hybridization prior to introduction as a stimulus for the evolution of invasiveness. The question then becomes whether hybrid genotypes are ‘more invasive’ than non-hybrid genotypes and what role hybridization plays in invasion. Within the Myriophyllum heterophyllum (variable-leaf milfoil-VLM) system, several genotypes from different sources have invaded the Northeast United States, one of which is an interspecific hybrid (M. heterophyllum x M. laxum). These introduced lineages are remaining distinct and seem to, anecdotally, exhibit different growth patterns. My research will use a combination of experimental and observational studies to answer the following questions in the VLM system: (1) Is there a genetic basis for invasive growth? And (2) Are the hybrids heterotic? Here I will present the results of a pilot study and how these findings tie into my thesis research.
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