AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Thus, G. Ledyard Stebbins devoted two chapters of Variation and Evolution in Plants [2] to polyploidy, while Theodosius Dobzhansky had one chapter in Genetics and the Origin of Species [84]. Even zoologist Ernst Mayr mentioned polyploidy routinely in his writings, including Systematics and the Origin of Species [85].

Detailed explanation-2: -In the 1930s and early 1940s, polyploidy was envisioned as a chromosome polymorphism that-at least for a first pass-could be studied in an ecological context by comparing closely related diploid and polyploid populations [1, 20, 67].

Detailed explanation-3: -Polyploidy typically results in instant speciation-the new polyploid may be immediately isolated reproductively from its parent or parents; this process greatly increases biodiversity and provides new genetic material for evolution.

Detailed explanation-4: -Examples of important polyploid plants used for human food include, Triticum aestivum (wheat), Arachis hypogaea (peanut), Avena sativa (oat), Musa sp. (banana), many agricultural Brassica species, Solanum tuberosum (potato), Fragaria ananassa (strawberry), and Coffea arabica (coffee).