Question

Why might a wind-pollinated plant experience different levels of diversity in mitochondrial vs. nuclear loci following a postglacial recolonization event?

Answer 1

For a postglacial recolonization event to occur in a plant, pollination needs to take place. In a wind pollinated event, wind is the major factor that results in pollination or fusing of an egg and a sperm.

We know that the mitochondrial DNA is solely inherited from a mother, where as the nuclear DNA is a mixture of both father and mother resulting from the fusion of egg and sperm.

So when a wind pollinated posrt glacial recolonization event occurs, all the mitochondrial DNA is inherited from the mother that survive the glacial event. Where as the nuclear DNA is obtained after the fusing of egg adn sperm after pollination. Durign fusion of the sperm and egg, crossing over and genetic rearrangement occurs.

Hence do to this reason during a post glacial recolonization event , the diversity in mitochondiral and nuclear loci are at different levels.