Gene Flow in Cucurbita
Abstract
Cucurbita pepo and Cucurbita texana when artificially crossed produce fully fertile hybrids. Thus interspecific genetic exchange is possible. An attempt was made to monitor actual gene flow between these two taxa under both agricultural and natural conditions. Two synthetic populations were established for this purpose using experimental plants that were genetically marked by isozyme phenotype. At the end of the growing season progeny were electrophoresed. The resulting data quantified the event of genetic exchange between taxa, revealed the source of foreign genetic material, and thus established the distance over which gene flow occurred. It can be concluded from the data that since genetic exchange does indeed take place between the C. pepo complex and C. texana, their classification as two distinct and separate species is in question. The data also indicate that the previously published distance requirement for genetic isolation within the Cucurbita is incorrect.
Description
Program year: 1982-1983Digitized from print original stored in HDR
Subject
interspecific genetic exchangegene flow
Cucurbita pepo
Cucurbita texana
foreign genetic material
genetic isolation
Citation
Kirkpatrick, Kurt (1983). Gene Flow in Cucurbita. University Undergraduate Fellows. Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /CAPSTONE -KirkpatrickK _1983.