| Abstract Detail
Population Genetics Waselkov, Katherine [1], Olsen, Kenneth [2], Schaal, Barbara [3]. Population Genetics of Weed Evolution in the Genus Amaranthus. The genus Amaranthus (Amaranthaceae) is a group of ~90 species that includes many widespread agricultural/ruderal weeds. Two species of Amaranthus are weeds of major agricultural importance in the Midwestern U.S: the dioecious species A. tuberculatus ("waterhemp") and the monoecious A. hybridus. A. tuberculatus became an agricultural weed only ~60 years ago, and several hypotheses about the origin of this "weedy" form have been put forward, involving introgression from A. hybridus or a western form of A. tuberculatus. Using neutral microsatellite loci from across the genome, we compare the population genetic structure, both in riverine and agricultural habitats, of these two species with different sexual systems. We also plan to test the hypotheses for the origin of weedy waterhemp, and test the hypothesis of local adaptation of waterhemp populations in agricultural habitats. A long-term goal is to place our results from these studies of weed genetics and evolution into a broader evolutionary context, by conducting a worldwide phylogenetic analysis of the genus Amaranthus.
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1 - Washington University in St. Louis, Department of Biology, One Brookings Dr., Box 1137, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA
2 - Washington University, Department of Biology, Campus Box 1137, 1 Brookings Drive, St Louis, MO, 63130, USA
3 - Washington University, Department of Biology, Campus Box 1137, One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, Missouri, 63130-4899, USA
Keywords:
Amaranthus
Amaranthaceae
microsatellite markers
agricultural weed
dioecy
monoecy
population genetic structure.
Presentation Type: Poster:Posters for Topics
Session: P1
Location: Event Tent/Cliff Lodge
Date: Monday, July 27th, 2009
Time: 5:30 PM
Number: P1PO003
Abstract ID:235 |
