Tree of Sex: A database of sexual systems

Ashman, Tia‐Lynn; Bachtrog, Doris; Blackmon, Heath; Goldberg, Emma E.; Hahn, Matthew W.; Kirkpatrick, Mark; Kitano, Jun; Mank, Judith E.; Mayrose, Itay; Ming, Ray; Otto, Sarah P.; Peichel, Catherine L.; Pennell, Matthew W.; Perrin, Nicolas; Ross, Laura; Valenzuela, Nicole; Vamosi, Jana C.

doi:10.1038/sdata.2014.15

Cited by 213 publications

(90 citation statements)

References 24 publications

(20 reference statements)

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“…To identify which of these candidate explanations are most relevant, it would be extremely valuable to document how well model assumptions match the properties of each category of parthenogens, and whether some categories are more strongly associated with a given geographic pattern. For instance, a database such as the tree of sex [133] provides a good starting point for cataloguing species where both sexual and asexual populations are found, their respective distribution, and candidate characteristics to explain geographic patterns (ecology, ploidy, hybridity, type of asexuality. .…”

Section: (A) Better Documentation Of the Patternsmentioning

confidence: 99%

What does the geography of parthenogenesis teach us about sex?

Tilquin

Kokko

2016

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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One contribution of 15 to a theme issue 'Weird sex: the underappreciated diversity of sexual reproduction'. Theory predicts that sexual reproduction is difficult to maintain if asexuality is an option, yet sex is very common. To understand why, it is important to pay attention to repeatably occurring conditions that favour transitions to, or persistence of, asexuality. Geographic parthenogenesis is a term that has been applied to describe a large variety of patterns where sexual and related asexual forms differ in their geographic distribution. Often asexuality is stated to occur in a habitat that is, in some sense, marginal, but the interpretation differs across studies: parthenogens might not only predominate near the margin of the sexuals' distribution, but might also extend far beyond the sexual range; they may be disproportionately found in newly colonizable areas (e.g. areas previously glaciated), or in habitats where abiotic selection pressures are relatively stronger than biotic ones (e.g. cold, dry). Here, we review the various patterns proposed in the literature, the hypotheses put forward to explain them, and the assumptions they rely on. Surprisingly, few mathematical models consider geographic parthenogenesis as their focal question, but all models for the evolution of sex could be evaluated in this framework if the (often ecological) causal factors vary predictably with geography. We also recommend broadening the taxa studied beyond the traditional favourites.This article is part of the themed issue 'Weird sex: the underappreciated diversity of sexual reproduction'.

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Section: (A) Better Documentation Of the Patternsmentioning

confidence: 99%

What does the geography of parthenogenesis teach us about sex?

Tilquin

Kokko

2016

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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“…The Sex Systems Database (Tree of Sex Consortium, 2014) was concatenated with a database of North American plant species that included introduction status (native/introduced) and weed status (weedy/nonweedy) (Kuester et al., 2014), in which weeds were defined as troublesome plants in agriculture, horticulture, ornamental, and natural areas. Sexual systems with very few occurrences were removed (androdioecy, apomictic, gynomonoecy, other, polygamomonoecy; N = 12).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Here we test this prediction by combining two existing databases: a recently published Sex Systems Database (Tree of Sex Consortium, 2014) with a database of plant species found within the USA for which the weed (weedy vs. nonweedy) and introduction status (native vs. introduced) are known (database from Kuester et al., 2014). We used this concatenated database to test for an association between sexual system (hermaphrodite, monoecy, gynomonoecy, andromonoecy, dioecy, androdioecy) and weediness status for both native and introduced species.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Not all weeds are created equal: A database approach uncovers differences in the sexual system of native and introduced weeds

Etten

Conner

Chang

et al. 2017

Ecology and Evolution

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Weedy species provide excellent opportunities to examine the process of successful colonization of novel environments. Despite the influence of the sexual system on a variety of processes from reproduction to genetic structure, how the sexual system of species influences weediness has received only limited consideration. We examined the hypothesis that weedy plants have an increased likelihood of being self‐compatible compared with nonweedy plants; this hypothesis is derived from Baker's law, which states that species that can reproduce uniparentally are more likely to successfully establish in a new habitat where mates are lacking. We combined a database of the weed (weedy/nonweedy) and introduction status (introduced/native) of plant species found in the USA with a database of plant sexual systems and determined whether native and introduced weeds varied in their sexual systems compared with native and introduced nonweeds. We found that introduced weeds are overrepresented by species with both male and female functions present within a single flower (hermaphrodites) whereas weeds native to the USA are overrepresented by species with male and female flowers present on a single plant (monoecious species). Overall, our results show that Baker's law is supported at the level of the sexual system, thus providing further evidence that uniparental reproduction is an important component of being either a native or introduced weed.

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“…The evolution of parthenogenesis is a long-standing biological question inextricably tied to the "paradox of sex" (Burke & Bonduriansky, 2017;de Vienne, Giraud, & Gouyon, 2013), because the vast majority of animal life reproduces sexually (Ashman et al, 2014).…”

Section: Geographical Parthenogenesis As a Natural Laboratorymentioning

confidence: 99%

Population genomics and geographical parthenogenesis in Japanese harvestmen (Opiliones, Sclerosomatidae, Leiobunum)

Burns

Hedin

Tsurusaki

2017

Ecology and Evolution

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Naturally occurring population variation in reproductive mode presents an opportunity for researchers to test hypotheses regarding the evolution of sex. Asexual reproduction frequently assumes a geographical pattern, in which parthenogenesis‐dominated populations are more broadly dispersed than their sexual conspecifics. We evaluate the geographical distribution of genomic signatures associated with parthenogenesis using nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequence data from two Japanese harvestman sister taxa, Leiobunum manubriatum and Leiobunum globosum. Asexual reproduction is putatively facultative in these species, and female‐biased localities are common in habitat margins. Past karyotypic and current cytometric work indicates L. globosum is entirely tetraploid, while L. manubriatum may be either diploid or tetraploid. We estimated species phylogeny, genetic differentiation, diversity, and mitonuclear discordance in females collected across the species range in order to identify range expansion toward marginal habitat, potential for hybrid origin, and persistence of asexual lineages. Our results point to northward expansion of a tetraploid ancestor of L. manubriatum and L. globosum, coupled with support for greater male gene flow in southern L. manubriatum localities. Specimens from localities in the Tohoku and Hokkaido regions were indistinct, particularly those of L. globosum, potentially due to little mitochondrial differentiation or haplotypic variation. Although L. manubriatum overlaps with L. globosum across its entire range, L. globosum was reconstructed as monophyletic with strong support using mtDNA, and marginal support with nuclear loci. Ultimately, we find evidence for continued sexual reproduction in both species and describe opportunities to clarify the rate and mechanism of parthenogenesis.

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Tree of Sex: A database of sexual systems

Cited by 213 publications

References 24 publications

What does the geography of parthenogenesis teach us about sex?

What does the geography of parthenogenesis teach us about sex?

Not all weeds are created equal: A database approach uncovers differences in the sexual system of native and introduced weeds

Population genomics and geographical parthenogenesis in Japanese harvestmen (Opiliones, Sclerosomatidae, Leiobunum)

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