The evolution of complex floral traits

The main goal of my PhD-thesis is to investigate the evolution of complex floral morphological and chemical signals. I will explore the evolutionary, ecological and genetic underpinnings of chemical and visual plant signals and their roles in interactions between plants and insects. I use Arabis alpina L. (Brassicaceae) as my major study system, using multiple European populations as my study foci where populations located in European countries will be of main focus.
I will explore several areas of interest regarding the chemical ecology of A. alpina. I attempt to couple the divergent local selection variation in floral scent and green leaf volatiles (GLVs) to local variation in insect herbivore and pollinator communities, identify their role as selection agents on plant chemical signals, and the genomic underpinnings of the chemical variation. In addition, I will perform a large common garden experiment comparing the floral scent variation of several self-compatible/self-incompatible species pairs within the Brassicaceae family in an attempt to illuminate macroevolutionary patterns of floral scent when species evolve toward self-compatibility, and thus a reduced need of pollinators.