Two species of Antirrhinum, A. striatum and A. pseudomajus, form natural hybrid zones in the Pyrenees. Genome scans reveal an island of genomic divergence between the species of about 100kb around a region that encodes two loci controlling flower colour. Our working hypothesis is that divergent selection through pollinator behaviour, leads to differential fitness of hybrid and parental forms and thus maintains this genomic island. This project aims to test this hypothesis through studies on how pollinators (bumble bees) interact with distinct plant genotypes in the laboratory and field.
The student will explore the effect of natural variation in flower colour patterns on bee behaviour through a series of laboratory and field experiments.Application Deadline 30/11/2012. For more information please visit the website below.
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