Helianthus annuus ssp. texanus has chloroplast DNA and nuclear ribosomal RNA genes of Helianthus debilis ssp. cucumerifolius

Loren H. Rieseberg, Stephen Beckstrom-Sternberg, Khiem Doan

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

104 Scopus citations

Abstract

Heiser [Heiser, C. B. (1951) Evolution 5, 42-51] hypothesized that Helianthus annuus ssp. texanus was derived by the introduction of H. annuus into Texas and subsequent introgression of genes from Helianthus debilis ssp. cucumerifolius into H. annuus. Although often considered to be one of the best cases of introgression in plants, alternative hypotheses to introgression, such as convergence or the joint retention of the ancestral condition, could not be ruled out in the original study. To test for the occurrence of introgression we examined 14 populations of H. annuus ssp. texanus, 14 allopatric populations of H. annuus, and three populations of H. debilis ssp. cucumerifolius with reference to diagnostic chloroplast DNA and nuclear ribosomal DNA markers. Thirteen of the 14 populations of H. annuus ssp. texanus had chloroplast DNA and/or ribosomal DNA markers of H. debilis ssp. cucumerifolius. In contrast, no chloroplast DNA or ribosomal DNA markers of H. debilis ssp. cucumerifolius were found in the 14 allopatric populations of H. annuus. Our findings provide strong support, therefore, for the hypothesized introgressive origin of H. annuus ssp. texanus.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)593-597
Number of pages5
JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Volume87
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 1990

Keywords

  • Hybridization
  • Introgression
  • Plant taxonomy
  • Restriction-site variation

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General

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