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Genomic Perspectives On Evolution In Bracken Fern, Joshua P. Der
Genomic Perspectives On Evolution In Bracken Fern, Joshua P. Der
All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023
The fern genus Pteridium comprises a number of closely related species distributed throughout the world. Collectively they are called bracken ferns and have historically been treated as a single species, Pteridium aquilinum. Bracken is notorious as a toxic weed that colonizes open fields and poisons livestock. Bracken is also easily cultured and has become one of the most intensively studied ferns. Bracken has been used as a model system for the study of the fern life cycle, fern gametophyte development, the pheromonal mechanism of sex determination, toxicology, invasion ecology, and climate change. This dissertation places bracken within a global …