Phenotypic integration on the complex oil flowers of Krameria grandiflora across its geographical range

• Grant number: 16/11483-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: September 12, 2016
• End date: January 11, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Isabel Alves dos Santos
• Grantee: Liedson Tavares de Sousa Carneiro
• Supervisor: Robert R. Junker
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Salzburg, Austria
• Associated to the scholarship: 13/00181-5 - Geographic mosaic structure of the interaction between Krameria Loefl. (Krameriaceae) species and oil collecting bees, BP.DR

Abstract

Flowers are valuable systems for studying phenotypic correlation structure of multiple traits as they represent a complex modular organ subjected to selective pressures provided by their pollinators. In the proposed project, we aim to apply phenotypic integration methods (on previous collected data) for assessing floral trait correlation and covariation across the distribution range of Krameria grandiflora, involved in a specialized interaction with oil-collecting bees. As selective pressures are assumed to reduce phenotypic variation and increase integration in specialized systems, we expected that K. grandiflora flowers represent integrated phenotypes, regarding functional semi-modules, across populations. We also predict that magnitude and pattern of integration within this system differ among population even complexity and specialization are conservative within the clade.