Research Outline

Ancestors of angiosperms show hermaphroditism, and approximately 70% of extant plant species are also hermaphroditic. This is because hermaphrodites can increase the mate opportunity in sessile nature of plants. On the other hand, sex expression with male or female flowers evolved in some species. To understand the diversification of plant sex expression, we need to know why the sex expression is advantageous (adaptive significance), and how the sex expression occurs (molecular mechanism).

Male and female flowers occur by mutants of female and male flower organs, respectively. I have studied why the mutants are advantageous by investigating plant ecology in natural populations. I would like to clarify the mechanisms of them in the future.