Sex ratio variation in mosses

Syntrichia caninervis exhibits highly skewed sex ratios in the wild, often with far more females than males. This project investigates whether physiological or ecological differences between sexes underlie this pattern. Using greenhouse experiments, students will grow male and female genotypes under different climate conditions to test for differential survival or growth. Tissue culture and molecular tools will be used for genotype identification and manipulation. This project combines ecological theory and experimental biology to explore the evolutionary consequences of sex-specific stress tolerance.