XVI International Botanical Congess

The evolution of sexual dimorphism in floral attractive traits is thought to involve the interplay between pollinators and the genetic architecture underlying floral phenotype. Specifically, selection mediated through pollinator preferences could either facilitate (through sex-differential benefits of visitation) or constrain (through selection for similarity between the sexes to ensure effective pollen transfer) the evolution of sexual dimorphism in floral traits. The response to selection will depend on the level of genetic (co)variation between traits within and between the sex morphs, as well as, the degree of sexual dimorphism in genetic variance parameters. I will present work that evaluates the basis of pollinator selectivity and its effects on male and female reproductive success, quantifies the genetic architecture underlying floral traits, and then makes predictions regarding the evolution of sexual dimorphism in a species with incomplete sexual differentiation, gynodioecious Fragaria virginiana.