Skip to main content
Journal cover image

Plant speciation.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Rieseberg, LH; Willis, JH
Published in: Science (New York, N.Y.)
August 2007

Like the formation of animal species, plant speciation is characterized by the evolution of barriers to genetic exchange between previously interbreeding populations. Prezygotic barriers, which impede mating or fertilization between species, typically contribute more to total reproductive isolation in plants than do postzygotic barriers, in which hybrid offspring are selected against. Adaptive divergence in response to ecological factors such as pollinators and habitat commonly drives the evolution of prezygotic barriers, but the evolutionary forces responsible for the development of intrinsic postzygotic barriers are virtually unknown and frequently result in polymorphism of incompatibility factors within species. Polyploid speciation, in which the entire genome is duplicated, is particularly frequent in plants, perhaps because polyploid plants often exhibit ecological differentiation, local dispersal, high fecundity, perennial life history, and self-fertilization or asexual reproduction. Finally, species richness in plants is correlated with many biological and geohistorical factors, most of which increase ecological opportunities.

Duke Scholars

Altmetric Attention Stats
Dimensions Citation Stats

Published In

Science (New York, N.Y.)

DOI

EISSN

1095-9203

ISSN

0036-8075

Publication Date

August 2007

Volume

317

Issue

5840

Start / End Page

910 / 914

Related Subject Headings

  • Reproduction
  • Polyploidy
  • Plants
  • Plant Physiological Phenomena
  • Hybridization, Genetic
  • Genetic Speciation
  • General Science & Technology
  • Extinction, Biological
  • Ecosystem
  • Biological Evolution
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Rieseberg, L. H., & Willis, J. H. (2007). Plant speciation. Science (New York, N.Y.), 317(5840), 910–914. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1137729
Rieseberg, Loren H., and John H. Willis. “Plant speciation.Science (New York, N.Y.) 317, no. 5840 (August 2007): 910–14. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1137729.
Rieseberg LH, Willis JH. Plant speciation. Science (New York, NY). 2007 Aug;317(5840):910–4.
Rieseberg, Loren H., and John H. Willis. “Plant speciation.Science (New York, N.Y.), vol. 317, no. 5840, Aug. 2007, pp. 910–14. Epmc, doi:10.1126/science.1137729.
Rieseberg LH, Willis JH. Plant speciation. Science (New York, NY). 2007 Aug;317(5840):910–914.
Journal cover image

Published In

Science (New York, N.Y.)

DOI

EISSN

1095-9203

ISSN

0036-8075

Publication Date

August 2007

Volume

317

Issue

5840

Start / End Page

910 / 914

Related Subject Headings

  • Reproduction
  • Polyploidy
  • Plants
  • Plant Physiological Phenomena
  • Hybridization, Genetic
  • Genetic Speciation
  • General Science & Technology
  • Extinction, Biological
  • Ecosystem
  • Biological Evolution