Review of PhD Thesis
Kristýna Šemberová: Population structure and evolutionary history of Central European bellflowers from the Campanula rotundifolia agg.
Overall assessment
The thesis reviewed deals with an extremely complex model group Campanula rotundifolia agg. It is very difficult to disentangle the complex evolutionary history of such a morphologically variable and phenotypically plastic group, in which a large number of traditional taxa are distinguished. A separation of importance of particular evolutionary processes on the complex pattern of current morphological and genetic variation of group is a really tough task.
In my opinion, general chapters are partly written too generally, sometimes without an obvious connection to the topic being studied. I am missing some issues therein, which should be discuss. I believe, the part 4 (Key results and Discussion) would be more appropriate to restrict only for own results and displace a discussion to appropriate place.
The part would be more clear and understandable.
The main part includes two papers published in prestigious journals and two manuscripts.
The author used the whole range of methodological approaches to study the model group and solve general evolutionary questions. Different stage of publication partly mirrors in quality of papers. While there is little to criticize about published articles, especially Case study II still needs work (e. g. visualization of some figures should be improved and I missing Supplementary material SM2–SM4). However, the whole set of articles is a significant contribution to the knowledge of population structure and evolution history of studied group.
Results brings important general knowledge as well as specific findings regarding the need to revise the existing taxonomic treatment of variation of group. I greatly appreciate the enormous amount of work the author has done and the unique data collected, which are probably not yet fully utilized in the presented work. Therefore, I can declare, that PhD thesis meets the requirements for the PhD theses.
Questions to the defence
• Key factor shaping population structure of plant species is breeding system. What is known about the breeding system in the study group? Are there some mechanism of self incompatibility? Is present a real heterostyly, as mentioned in connection with the measurement of characters on flowers, or is there some other mechanism prevents selfing?
• Selection and local adaptation are stated as key evolutionary processes in the studied group. But, can other evolutionary processes also play a role? What do you think about potential importance genetic drift for genetic variation of populations in this group?
Branišovská 1760 370 05 České Budějovice, Česká republika T/ +420 387 776 201 F/ +420 387 776 226 www.prf.jcu.cz
• Could you explain why populations from the Moravia outside of the Carpathians were included in the study Campanula rotundifolia agg. along an elevational gradient in the Western Carpathians (CS 2)? Why only these several were included?
• Your study species, which are endemic for the Sudeten Mountains, are placed on terminal branches of presented phylogenetic tree and seem to be young? Do you think that general conclusions of study six clades with diversi ication centres in the European mountain (CS III, asymmetrical migrations from silicate alpine elevational habitats to lowland, and mostly calcareous, refugia) are relevant for them?
doc. ing. Milan Štech, Ph.D.
Křenovice, March 7, 2023
Branišovská 1760 370 05 České Budějovice, Česká republika T/ +420 387 776 201 F/ +420 387 776 226 www.prf.jcu.cz
