Biological Sciences Colloquium: Wendy Shelton

Wendy Shelton, UW-Milwaukee graduate student, will present a talk about her work entitled, “Exploring the causes and consequences of variation in flowering patterns.”

The abstract is as follows:

“Flowering patterns often vary widely, both within and among populations. Among-individual variation in flowering can affect the number of prospective mates, the risk of mating with lower quality individuals, and the likelihood of self-pollination. In this colloquium, I describe two studies that explore variation in flowering patterns in monkeyflower (Mimulus ringens), a hermaphroditic herb. In the first study, I employed an experimental design that minimized environmental variation and allowed me to quantify substantial flowering pattern variation due primarily to genetic factors. In the second study, I investigated the relationship between genetic diversity and variation in mating opportunity due to among-individual heterogeneity in flower production. My work enhances our understanding of the evolution of flower deployment strategies and associated mating patterns.”

The presentation will begin at 4:00 PM in Lapham Hall N101, preceded by an informal reception from 3:45 – 4:00 PM.