Diversification in Plants through Polyploidization and Hybridization Processes

Dear Colleagues,

The relevance of polyploidy (through allopolyploidization or autopolyploidization) and interspecific hybridization (either at the homoploid or heteroploid level) in plant evolution, diversification, and speciation has been debated for decades. They are now considered to have a predominant role at least in small timescales, not only in wild species but also in domesticated plants.

In nature, new polyploids and hybrids must persist in adopting strategies that involve mixing and competing with parental species. Usually complex and long evolutionary processes that are poorly understood occur, and their study requires a wide range of approaches. While phylogenetic analyses can help to elucidate speciation events and evolutionary histories of plant species aggregates, molecular markers may reveal genetic relationships, diversity, and introgressions among taxa or cytotypes at smaller scales. How newly arisen polyploids and hybrids establish and compete with their parentals can be studied through their ecology, biogeography, and adaptation to different habitats, as well as through their reproductive isolation, such as shifts in compatibility systems, phenology, and sexual/asexual reproduction. Finally, more recent genomic approaches are allowing the analysis of genetic and epigenetic alterations in new lineages, such as chromosomal rearrangements, new gene functions, transposable element activity, and DNA methylation.

In this Special Issue, research articles and reviews that are focused on a better understanding of plant evolution and speciation through polyploidization and hybridization are most welcome. This collection of articles is expected to cover a wide variety of approaches, aimed at identifying the main consequences of these processes in plants.

Prof. Dr. María Ferriol Molina
Guest Editor

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