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The role of sexual reproduction in the invasive behavior of polyploid species complexes in alien plants
Jarůšková, Dominika ; Slovák, Marek (advisor) ; Urfus, Tomáš (referee)
Alien plants have a significantly negative impact on the composition and structure of resident communities. They might cause a remarkable decrease in their biodiversity and even severely threaten the existce of rare species. One of the factors that can accelerate invasive behaviour of alien species is whole-genome duplication (polyploidy), which can, via increased genetic diversity, improve overall fitness, reproduction abilities and competitiveness of polyploid cytotypes compared to their diploid counterparts. This work represents a literature review focused on the reproductive mechanisms of invasive species and the role they play in their invasive behavior. Reproduction is further analyzed in the context of polyploidy, with a special focus on the effects of polyploidy on sexual reproduction. Last but not least, the work presents and discusses case studies that deal with selected invasive polyploid species complexes and analyze the success of their sexual reproduction in their native as well as invaded distribution range. Key words: alien species, polyploidy, sexual reproduction
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The role of ecological factors in maintenance of sexuality
Toman, Jan ; Flegr, Jaroslav (advisor) ; Janko, Karel (referee)
The existence and widespread distribution of sexual reproduction despite its obvious disadvantages is an evolutionary enigma. According to the theory of frozen plasticity, the evolution of sexual and asexual species is fundamentally different. One of the implications of this theory are different ecological preferences of these species. Sexual species should prefer biotically and abiotically variable environments because of their ability to quickly and reversibly respond to unpredictable changes. On the other hand, asexual species should prosper in biotically and abiotically stable environments because of their ability to perfectly adapt even to extreme environmental factors in the long term. I decided to test these predictions in the metastudy comparing ancient asexual clades (in which we can be sure about their obligate asexuality and evolutionary longevity) with their sexual sister or closely related ecologically comparable clades. The hypothesis of the preference of asexual species to biotically and abiotically homogenous environments was supported by the results of this metastudy. On the other hand, the hypothesis of supposed ability of asexual species to perfectly adapt to a broader range of environmental conditions, tested on the comparison of temperature ranges of activity of previously...
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Ecological aspects of sexual reproduction
Toman, Jan ; Flegr, Jaroslav (advisor) ; Markoš, Anton (referee)
Sexual reproduction is one of the most interesting biological phenomena. No theory has ever entirely explained its wide occurrence among Eukaryotic clades despite its clear disadvantages (e.g. twofold price of sex). Theories can be divided into three groups according to the approach to solve this problem - molecular, genetic and ecological (environmental). Environmental theories are slightly preferred in the last decades and the opinion that the key to the sex enigma lies among them is widely accepted. Most of the environmental theories do not counter each other and there is possibility either to integrate them in several ways or presume that several of these theories might act simultaneously. According to theories, abiotically stable environments without biotic interactions (homogenous) should be suitable for and select for asexual species, whereas environments abiotically variable and rich in biotic interactions (heterogenous) should be suitable for and select for sexual species. The anagenetic phenomenon of punctuated equilibria and some of its explanations, e.g. P. R. Sheldon's Plus ça change hypothesis or J. Flegr's Frozen plasticity theory, also supports this division. There is a vast amount of empirical data supporting this division in ecological studies. Clearly homogenous environments...
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Macroevolutionary and ecological implications of the theory of frozen plasticity
Toman, Jan ; Flegr, Jaroslav (advisor) ; Fatka, Oldřich (referee) ; Mikuláš, Radek (referee)
The frozen plasticity theory is a punctuationalist theory of adaptive evolution. It states that long periods of stasis, during which populations respond to selection pressures only by elastic change in the frequency of already present alleles, alternate in the evolution of sexual species with short periods of plastic evolution, during which alleles can get fixed or eliminated by directed selection. Asexual species are not expected to maintain such high genetic polymorphism in the long term. They should, however, be able to plastically respond to selection pressures throughout their whole existence. This difference between the evolutionary dynamics of sexual and asexual clades has a number of ecological and macroevolutionary implications. Concerning ecology, we could expect different environmental preferences of sexual and asexual species. Accordingly, in our first work that was based on a comparative study, we statistically significantly supported the hypothesis that (ancient) asexual groups of (eukaryotes) inhabit more stable and homogeneous habitats than their related sexual controls. Focusing on actually experienced, i.e. subjective, heterogeneity of the environment turned out to be the crucial factor of this type of research. From the viewpoint of macroevolutionary implications of the frozen...
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Sexual reproduction of ochrophyte algae
Procházková, Kateřina ; Eliáš, Marek (advisor) ; Kulichová, Jana (referee)
Sexual reproduction is one of the specific features of eukaryotes. Almost all the knowledge that we have about the sexual process is based on studies conducted on animals and plants. In fact, we know only a tiny fraction of what protist organisms could reveal about distribution and other aspects of the sexual process. For the vast majority of them we miss any evidence that the sexual process actually occurs. However, it is conceivable that the putative protist asexuality is only a human artifact. Likewise, for most ochrophyte algae, which are the main subject of this thesis, the sexual process is unknown. It has been observed only in individuals belonging to six of the sixteen hitherto described classes of Ochrophyta. In some cases, an enviromnental factor that stimulates the formation of gametes was also found. The gradual clarification of the phylogeny that we can expect in the years coming, along with knowledge of biology of ochrophyte algae, can provide more information about sexuality in this group.
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Gametogenesis and Fertilization in Humans
Crhová, Michaela ; Pavlasová, Lenka (advisor) ; Ehler, Edvard (referee)
This bachelor thesis summarises the topic of gametogenesis and fertilization in humans. A search in available literature was performed. The thesis concisely describes the cell cycle and cell division. The main focus is on meiosis, a reductional division that takes the lead part in sexual reproduction. The process of this division is described in detail, and also the mechanism that creates variability of protected cells is described. The product of meiosis is gametes, also known as germ cells. Production of these cells is a key moment in sexual reproduction. This thesis approaches this topic in the context of evolutionary biology and explains its importance in the survival of species on Earth. The main topic of the thesis is the production and maturing of human germ cells. This process is called gametogenesis. This thesis provides a cohesive description of the reproduction system of both sexes and describes the gradual maturing of the germ cells in gonads. The structure of both gametes, egg, and sperm is described with emphasis on the parts of these cells that take part in the process of fertilization. Female reproductive cycles are depicted, and their connection is explained. In contrast to this periodicity, the male continual maturing is also explained. This thesis compares the main differences in...
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Macroevolutionary and ecological implications of the theory of frozen plasticity
Toman, Jan ; Flegr, Jaroslav (advisor) ; Fatka, Oldřich (referee) ; Mikuláš, Radek (referee)
The frozen plasticity theory is a punctuationalist theory of adaptive evolution. It states that long periods of stasis, during which populations respond to selection pressures only by elastic change in the frequency of already present alleles, alternate in the evolution of sexual species with short periods of plastic evolution, during which alleles can get fixed or eliminated by directed selection. Asexual species are not expected to maintain such high genetic polymorphism in the long term. They should, however, be able to plastically respond to selection pressures throughout their whole existence. This difference between the evolutionary dynamics of sexual and asexual clades has a number of ecological and macroevolutionary implications. Concerning ecology, we could expect different environmental preferences of sexual and asexual species. Accordingly, in our first work that was based on a comparative study, we statistically significantly supported the hypothesis that (ancient) asexual groups of (eukaryotes) inhabit more stable and homogeneous habitats than their related sexual controls. Focusing on actually experienced, i.e. subjective, heterogeneity of the environment turned out to be the crucial factor of this type of research. From the viewpoint of macroevolutionary implications of the frozen...
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Life cycle of Haematococcus pluvialis (Chlorophyceae) species complex
Vávrová, Karolína ; Němcová, Yvonne (advisor) ; Nedbalová, Linda (referee)
Freshwater green algae within species complex Haematococcus pluvialis are best natural producers of secondary carotenoid astaxanthin famous for its strong antioxidant activity. Despite worldwide distribution, great biotechnological potential and extensive literature dealing with different approaches to the cultivation of these organisms, there still remains surprising gaps in knowledge of their complex life cycle and behaviour. First uncertainty concerns asexual cell division of zoospores, hypothetically limited to five cell doublings (Lee & Ding 1994). No such genetic limitation was observed in this thesis, number of cell divisions is thus influenced mainly by cultivation conditions. There is still considerable uncertainty regarding to the asexual reproduction, as well. Ambiguity might be caused by scarce observation of the whole process of gametogenesis and conjugation of gametes. Published studies differed in some particular points. Unfortunately, we did not succeed in induction of gametogenesis despite broad scale of tested cultivation conditions applied to two different species within the H. pluvialis complex, namely H. pluvialis and H. rubicundus. This failure might be caused by heterothalism of the studied strains. Haematococcus pluvialis inhabits mainly ephemeral pools. Its ability to...
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The role of ecological factors in maintenance of sexuality
Toman, Jan ; Flegr, Jaroslav (advisor) ; Janko, Karel (referee)
The existence and widespread distribution of sexual reproduction despite its obvious disadvantages is an evolutionary enigma. According to the theory of frozen plasticity, the evolution of sexual and asexual species is fundamentally different. One of the implications of this theory are different ecological preferences of these species. Sexual species should prefer biotically and abiotically variable environments because of their ability to quickly and reversibly respond to unpredictable changes. On the other hand, asexual species should prosper in biotically and abiotically stable environments because of their ability to perfectly adapt even to extreme environmental factors in the long term. I decided to test these predictions in the metastudy comparing ancient asexual clades (in which we can be sure about their obligate asexuality and evolutionary longevity) with their sexual sister or closely related ecologically comparable clades. The hypothesis of the preference of asexual species to biotically and abiotically homogenous environments was supported by the results of this metastudy. On the other hand, the hypothesis of supposed ability of asexual species to perfectly adapt to a broader range of environmental conditions, tested on the comparison of temperature ranges of activity of previously...
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Ecological aspects of sexual reproduction
Toman, Jan ; Flegr, Jaroslav (advisor) ; Markoš, Anton (referee)
Sexual reproduction is one of the most interesting biological phenomena. No theory has ever entirely explained its wide occurrence among Eukaryotic clades despite its clear disadvantages (e.g. twofold price of sex). Theories can be divided into three groups according to the approach to solve this problem - molecular, genetic and ecological (environmental). Environmental theories are slightly preferred in the last decades and the opinion that the key to the sex enigma lies among them is widely accepted. Most of the environmental theories do not counter each other and there is possibility either to integrate them in several ways or presume that several of these theories might act simultaneously. According to theories, abiotically stable environments without biotic interactions (homogenous) should be suitable for and select for asexual species, whereas environments abiotically variable and rich in biotic interactions (heterogenous) should be suitable for and select for sexual species. The anagenetic phenomenon of punctuated equilibria and some of its explanations, e.g. P. R. Sheldon's Plus ça change hypothesis or J. Flegr's Frozen plasticity theory, also supports this division. There is a vast amount of empirical data supporting this division in ecological studies. Clearly homogenous environments...
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