Whitham Thomas G, Slobodchikoff C N
Harold S. Colton Research Center, Museum of Northern Arizona, 86001, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA.
Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, 86011, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA.
Oecologia. 1981 Jul;49(3):287-292. doi: 10.1007/BF00347587.
Differences in the pattern of organization of organisms may lead to different patterns of evolution, genetics and ecology, Plants and animals differ in their fundamental patterns of organization. Plants consist of a series of repeating units that compete with one another, while animals consist of mutually interdependent systems that cannot compete. As a result, plants may be able to take advantage of somatic mutations in ways that are not available to animals. Somatic mutations arising in plants can be inherited by naturally occurring mechanisms of sexual and asexual reproduction. Long life span, large clone size, and the complete regeneration of buds each year may permit an indivdual plant or clone to evolve. Plants may even develop as mosaics of genetic variation. Evolution by individual plants and/or development as mosaics of genetic variation may prevent herbivores from breaking the defenses of their host plants. This evolution may also result in greater "fine tuning" to local environments leading to ecotypic variation.
生物体组织模式的差异可能导致不同的进化、遗传和生态模式。植物和动物在其基本组织模式上存在差异。植物由一系列相互竞争的重复单元组成，而动物则由相互依存、无法竞争的系统组成。因此，植物可能能够以动物无法采用的方式利用体细胞突变。植物中出现的体细胞突变可通过自然发生的有性和无性繁殖机制遗传。长寿、庞大的克隆规模以及每年芽的完全再生可能使单个植物或克隆体得以进化。植物甚至可能发展成为遗传变异的镶嵌体。单个植物的进化和/或以遗传变异镶嵌体的形式发育可能会阻止食草动物突破其寄主植物的防御。这种进化也可能导致对当地环境的更精细“调节”，从而产生生态型变异。
