Hypothesis: Sarr. color forms are mostly of hybrid origin
Dec 25, 2018 22:19:23 GMT -5
meizzwang, sunbelle, and 2 more like this
Post by kiwiearl on Dec 25, 2018 22:19:23 GMT -5
A very interesting element in all this is, red colouration perpetually seems more emotionally compelling to we humans and, ipso facto, more noteworthy for many than what is thereby assumed to be foundational green in a species such as S. flava.
Whilst not necessarily apples with apples, perhaps worth considering for a moment are species that throw colour mutations such as the Leopard and Jaguar, each of which produces melanistic morphs, and the many birds that produce both melanistic and leucistic morphs, for easy examples. While none of these expressions are due to hybridisation and the morphs can be thrown from normal looking parents, a mating including a colour morph individual is more likely (but not exclusively) to result in the production of offspring expressing the mutation.
Perhaps rather than the green based S. flava forms being antecedent to the smaller numbers of red forms, what we see in the field simply reflects the predominance by weight of numbers of the green based forms. As is the predominance of the typically spotted version of the leopard. In turn, that predominance in S. flava potentially reflects a selected for advantage.
I suspect the red flava so closely associated with or actually within the non-red populations (or more accurately, the green ones with a solid red throat in W. Florida) indicate the red ones are a simple expressions of mutations that perpetuate due to the numbers of offspring produced (ie, we see stands of red expression), numbers over and above those of the animal species mentioned. Indeed, in W. Florida the red plants often have a red throat as in the green ones. In terms of colour alone as a factor, they are simply red rather than green.
Personally, I’ve never found favour with theory the solid red throat of an S. flava is the result of hybridisation with representations of S. purpurea that have a red throat. Any more than I do with the reverse. Rather, I suspect a circumstance of a similar successful trait having been selected for; a case of an apomorphy shared by the two species while not found in other Sarracenia species that are derived from the same foundational ancestor as S. flava.
Certainly, we simply don’t know what the evolutionary precursors of the Sarracenia we humans have known within approximately the last 14,000 years looked like. Inherently, in the case of S. flava the colour expressions are within a significant spectrum. I suspect the expression of red has always existed in the species itself, independent of interbreeding with other species. Veinless (not antho-free) and other colour expressions in S. purpurea are possibly a corollary.
Obviously hybrids with associated other species of Sarracenia occur in S. flava populations and hybridisation may indeed be a factor in red flava expressions. Who knows? For my money that would need to be proved in satisfactory empirical fashion across all wild populations. In alignment with sunbelle's statements and questioning, I'm not convinced that the explanation lies in the realm of theoretical hybridism.
Whilst not necessarily apples with apples, perhaps worth considering for a moment are species that throw colour mutations such as the Leopard and Jaguar, each of which produces melanistic morphs, and the many birds that produce both melanistic and leucistic morphs, for easy examples. While none of these expressions are due to hybridisation and the morphs can be thrown from normal looking parents, a mating including a colour morph individual is more likely (but not exclusively) to result in the production of offspring expressing the mutation.
Perhaps rather than the green based S. flava forms being antecedent to the smaller numbers of red forms, what we see in the field simply reflects the predominance by weight of numbers of the green based forms. As is the predominance of the typically spotted version of the leopard. In turn, that predominance in S. flava potentially reflects a selected for advantage.
I suspect the red flava so closely associated with or actually within the non-red populations (or more accurately, the green ones with a solid red throat in W. Florida) indicate the red ones are a simple expressions of mutations that perpetuate due to the numbers of offspring produced (ie, we see stands of red expression), numbers over and above those of the animal species mentioned. Indeed, in W. Florida the red plants often have a red throat as in the green ones. In terms of colour alone as a factor, they are simply red rather than green.
Personally, I’ve never found favour with theory the solid red throat of an S. flava is the result of hybridisation with representations of S. purpurea that have a red throat. Any more than I do with the reverse. Rather, I suspect a circumstance of a similar successful trait having been selected for; a case of an apomorphy shared by the two species while not found in other Sarracenia species that are derived from the same foundational ancestor as S. flava.
Certainly, we simply don’t know what the evolutionary precursors of the Sarracenia we humans have known within approximately the last 14,000 years looked like. Inherently, in the case of S. flava the colour expressions are within a significant spectrum. I suspect the expression of red has always existed in the species itself, independent of interbreeding with other species. Veinless (not antho-free) and other colour expressions in S. purpurea are possibly a corollary.
Obviously hybrids with associated other species of Sarracenia occur in S. flava populations and hybridisation may indeed be a factor in red flava expressions. Who knows? For my money that would need to be proved in satisfactory empirical fashion across all wild populations. In alignment with sunbelle's statements and questioning, I'm not convinced that the explanation lies in the realm of theoretical hybridism.