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Plant Genome Diversity Volume 2 pp 255–276Cite as

The Incidence of Polyploidy in Natural Plant Populations: Major Patterns and Evolutionary Processes

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Abstract

Polyploidy, the multiplication of chromosome sets above the diploid state, is arguably as prevalent in plants as any other eukaryotic group. Over the past century, polyploidy has been linked with particular taxonomic groups (flowering plants, ferns), northern latitudes and extreme environments, and life histories such as perenniality, asexuality and self-fertilization. Here we review the current state of evidence for these patterns and their interpretations. Our understanding of the incidence of polyploidy in plants is still in flux due to a progression of advances in cytogenetics, flow cytometry, phylogenetics and genomics. We find polyploidy to be highly heterogeneous among plant groups and estimates of intraspecific variation and hybrid forms are increasing with high throughput analyses. Surprisingly, many accepted trends between polyploidy and geography, mating system, and comparative rates of species diversification have become less strong or conflicting with the development of new procedures, in particular with phylogenetic approaches. Our review suggests that while some patterns remain strong, many are not universal, suggesting there may be no unified explanation for the success of polyploids in plants.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada

    Prof. Dr. Brian C. Husband

  2. Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada

    Dr. Sarah J. Baldwin

  3. Department of Botany, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic

    Prof. Jan Suda (Faculty of Science)

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  1. Prof. Dr. Brian C. Husband
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  2. Dr. Sarah J. Baldwin
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  3. Prof. Jan Suda
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Correspondence to Brian C. Husband .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Inst. Botanik und Botanischer Garten, Universität Wien, Rennweg 14, Wien, 1030, Austria

    Johann Greilhuber

  2. Inst. Experimental Botany, Dept. Plant Biotechnology, ASCR Olomouc, Sokolovska 6, Olomouc, 772 00, Czech Republic

    Jaroslav Dolezel

  3. Dept. Botany, Iowa State University, Ames, 50011-1024, Iowa, USA

    Jonathan F. Wendel

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Husband, B.C., Baldwin, S.J., Suda, J. (2013). The Incidence of Polyploidy in Natural Plant Populations: Major Patterns and Evolutionary Processes. In: Greilhuber, J., Dolezel, J., Wendel, J. (eds) Plant Genome Diversity Volume 2. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-1160-4_16

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