Impact of Domestication on Floral Traits and Rewards: A Comparison Between Wild and Domesticated Squash ().

Plant domestication primarily targets traits of direct human interest, such as fruit and seed characteristics; however, its indirect effects on other traits, including floral morphology and rewards (nectar and pollen), remain less understood. In this study, we investigated how domestication has influenced floral traits and rewards in domesticated and wild species of the genus . We compared three domesticated and three wild species in an experimental plot.

Influence of plant domestication on plant-pollinator interactions: Floral attributes and floral visitor communities in wild and cultivated squash plants.

Premise: Domestication of plant species results in phenotypic modifications and changes in biotic interactions. Most studies have compared antagonistic plant-herbivore interactions of domesticated plants and their wild relatives, but little attention has been given to how domestication influences plant-pollinator interactions. Floral attributes and interactions of floral visitors were compared between sister taxa of the genus Cucurbita (Cucurbitaceae), the domesticated C.

Barks from avocado trees of different geographic locations have consistent microbial communities.

Bark is a permanent surface for microbial colonization at the interface of trees and the surrounding air, but little is known about its microbial communities. We used shotgun metagenomic sequencing to analyze the bark microbiomes of avocado trees from two orchards, and compared one of them to rhizospheric soil. It was shown that the microbial communities of avocado bark have a well-defined taxonomic structure, with consistent patterns of abundance of bacteria, fungi, and archaea, even in trees from two different locations.

Cognitive training increases dendritic arborization in the dorsal hippocampal CA1 and CA3 neurons of female and male Long-Evans rats.

Experiences influence the development of the central nervous system. Cognitive training promotes changes in the structure of the brain, such as in its weight and number of cells, as well as ability to perform dendritic remodeling. The present study was designed to detect possible differences in the neuronal morphology of the dorsal hippocampus between female and male Long-Evans rats after cognitive training (CT).