Silverleaf Sunflower Life History Traits Across 18 Populations

Data from a study by Brook T. Moyers on life history polymorphism in Helianthus argophyllus. It examines quantitative traits from 18 populations grown in a common garden to investigate divergent selection. The dataset includes phenotypic measurements and genetic structure information.

Use Cases

• Analyze covariation of quantitative traits like plant height and flowering time to assign individuals to distinct life history syndromes.
• Compare phenotypic variation patterns, such as early-flowering syndrome in coastal barrier islands versus late-flowering on the mainland, against regional genetic structure.
• Calculate QST and FST metrics for traits to evaluate evidence for divergent selection driving life history differences.
• Examine the first principal component score corresponding with life history syndrome across the species range.

Strengths

• Data originates from 18 distinct populations sampled across the species range, providing geographic breadth.
• Focuses on a rare and substantial intraspecific variation in life history, a key signal for studying ecological speciation.
• Includes analysis of both phenotypic traits and neutral genetic markers to assess selection versus drift.

Limitations

• The specific row count, column names, and sample data are unavailable, limiting immediate assessment of dataset scale and structure.
• As a common garden study, it captures genetic potential but may not fully reflect trait expression in natural, variable environments.
• The analysis is constrained to the sampled 18 populations, which may not capture the full phenotypic diversity of Helianthus argophyllus.

Provenance

Source

Brook T. Moyers via Dryad.

Collection Method

Quantitative traits measured from 18 populations of Helianthus argophyllus grown in a common garden experiment.

Freshness

Last updated 2020-06-24.

Geography

Populations sampled from across the species range of Helianthus argophyllus, including coastal barrier islands and the nearby mainland coast.