Somatic mutations contribute significantly to gene diversity in sterile populations of Grevillea rhizomatosa, the accumulation of which is the likely cause of male and female sterility. High levels of genetic diversity therefore may not always be synonymous with sexual fitness and genetic health. We hypothesize that frequent fires drive selection for clonal reproduction, at the cost of flowering such that sexual functions are not maintained through selection, and the build-up of somatic mutations in meristems results in high genotype diversity at the cost of pollen and ovule fertilities.
• Premise of the study: Microsatellite markers were developed to assess the level of genetic variation and population structure in Banksia integrifolia, a widespread species endemic to eastern Australia.• Methods and Results: We used next-generation sequencing approaches to identify and develop 11 polymorphic microsatellite markers with perfect tri- and tetranucleotide repeats. We tested these markers with 71 specimens from three populations. Observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.0 to 0.875 and 0.0 to 0.763, respectively.• Conclusions: The developed markers will be valuable for studies of the population structure, mating system, and selection of provenances for restoration projects involving B. integrifolia.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.