Evolutionary Tendencies Among Gymnosperms

Evolution and biogeography of gymnosperms.

Living gymnosperms comprise only a little more than 1000 species, but represent four of the five main lineages of seed plants, including cycads, ginkgos, gnetophytes and conifers. This group has huge ecological and economic value, and has drawn great interest from the scientific community. Here we review recent advances in our understanding of gymnosperm evolution and biogeography, including ph...

Studies in Stylidiaceae: New Taxa, Field Observations, Evolutionary Tendencies

Evolutionary Analysis of MIKCc-Type MADS-Box Genes in Gymnosperms and Angiosperms

MIKCc-type MADS-box genes encode transcription factors that control floral organ morphogenesis and flowering time in flowering plants. Here, in order to determine when the subfamilies of MIKCc originated and their early evolutionary trajectory, we sampled and analyzed the genomes and large-scale transcriptomes representing all the orders of gymnosperms and basal angiosperms. Through phylogeneti...

Thrips pollination of Mesozoic gymnosperms.

Within modern gymnosperms, conifers and Ginkgo are exclusively wind pollinated whereas many gnetaleans and cycads are insect pollinated. For cycads, thrips are specialized pollinators. We report such a specialized pollination mode from Early Cretaceous amber of Spain, wherein four female thrips representing a genus and two species in the family Melanthripidae were covered by abundant Cycadopite...

Better than my loved ones: Social comparison tendencies among narcissists

Narcissists pursue superiority and status at frequent costs to their relationships, and social comparisons seem central to these pursuits. Critically, these comparison tendencies should distinguish narcissism from healthy self-esteem. We tested this hypothesis in a study examining individual differences in everyday comparison activity. Narcissists, relative to those with high self-esteem, (1) m...