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Speciation of the American Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) Brandon Schlautman

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What is a species? Domain- Eukarya Kingdom- Plantae Phylum- Magnoliophyta Class- Magnoliopsida oOrder- Ericales Family- Ericaceae Is a member of the heath family. Genus- Vaccinium Is a member of the blueberry genus. Species- Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait.

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Cranberry Morphology/Adaptations Small vining shrub, forms dense mats in bog areas

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Cranberry Morphology/Adaptations Extensive rhizomes, asexual reproduction Self-incompatible Flowers look like a cranes head and neck

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Cranberry Morphology/Adaptations Yellow/red false berries Fruits contain locules Fruits are very hardy

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Vaccinium Phylogeny Phylogenetic tree - a branching diagram revealing the evolutionary relationships among various biological species based upon similarities and differences in their physical and/or genetic characteristics. evolutionaryspecies

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Vaccinium genus: some members V. angustifolium Lowbush Blueberry V. corymbosum Highbush Blueberry V. vitis-idaea Lignonberry V. myrtillus Bilberry V. ovatum Huckleberry V. darrowii

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Subgenus: Oxycoccos Sect. Oxycoccus Vaccinium macrocarpon American Cranberry Vaccinium macrocarpon Vaccinium microcarpum Small Cranberry Vaccinium microcarpum Vaccinium oxycoccos Common Cranberry Vaccinium oxycoccos Sect. Oxycoccoides Vaccinium erythrocarpus Southern Mountain Cranberry V. macrocarponV. microcarpum V. oxycoccos V. erythrocarpum

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Vaccinium hypothesis for Class Vaccinium Ancestor Cranberry and Lingonberry Ancestor Cranberry American Cranberry Southern Mountain Cranberry Common Cranberry Small fruit Cranberry Lingonberry Blueberry Huckleberry Ancestor Blueberry Highbush blueberry Lowbush blueberry Huckleberry

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How does evolution fit in this picture? Basic definition of evolution: A genetic change in a population over time. Main objective: What evolutionary forces and/or types of selection were acting upon Vaccinium subgenus oxycoccos which caused it to split (i.e. speciate) into three or more distinct species? Further objective: Are there really three species, and should the oxycoccos subgenus exist?

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Speciation- a lineage-splitting event that produces two or more separate species Allopatric Speciation- Speciation occurring in an alternate location Geographic barriers to reproduction Sympatric Speciation- Speciation occurring in same location Barriers to reproduction in same geographic area Ex) chromosome duplication/polyploidy

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Selections Role in Speciation Natural Selection- gradual random process which causes biological traits to become more or less common in a population Survival of the fittest Artificial Selection- Human mediated selection, agriculture

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Oxycoccus Geographic Distribution V. macrocarpon V. oxycoccus 4N V. oxycoccus 2N V. microcarpum V. erythrocarpus

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Following Speciation: Genetic Fingerprints Microsatellites (SSRs)- Short Sequence Repeats Ex) 5-AGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAG-3 vs. 5-AGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAG-3 By tracking changes in genetic sequences (SSRs), we can follow the genetic change in populations overtime (i.e. Evolution!)

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Chloroplast Data Example Why Chloroplast DNA 1)Maternally inherited only one copy per plant (i.e. every plant is a homozygote) 2)Small size-110,000 bp vs. 550,000,000bp nuclear genome 3)Minimal variation

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Revised Vaccinium Genetic Theory Vaccinium Ancestor Cranberry ancestor V. oxycoccus 2NV. macrocarponV. erythrocarpus?V. Oxycoccus 4NV. microcarpumV. vitis-ideae Blueberry Huckleberry Ancestor V. darrowiiV. corymbosumV. angustifolium?Huckleberry

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Gentic Theory and Distribution V.erythrocarpus- Likely Allopatric Speciation- isolated in Appalacian Mountains V. Oxycoccus 4N- Sympatric Speciation- Reproductive barrier due to polyploidy V. Oxycoccus 2N- Allopatric Speciaion geographic isolation V. Macrocarpon 2N- Allopatric Speciation geographic isolation

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Current Vaccinium Migration Hypothesis based on Morphology Blueberries Cranberries Can we prove or disprove this hypothesis using genetic tools?