DOI: 10.5061/dryad.ngf1vhj7w
title: Data and code from: Effects of ploidy on relationship between outbreeding response and fitness in a plant selfing species

description: Outbreeding response, the phenotypic differences observed between selfed
 parental lines and their outcrossed offspring, can influence the evolution
 of selfing strategies. However, such an effect remains poorly understood
 in non-crop species. We explored the phenotypic outbreeding response
 variation across ploidy levels in Erysimum incanum, a predominantly
 selfing plant complex with diploid, tetraploid, and hexaploid populations
 distributed across the Iberian Peninsula and Morocco. We performed
 controlled within-population crosses to generate offspring with varying
 heterozygosity levels across ploidy types. We quantified individual,
 flower, and reproductive traits, and we estimated fitness components, and
 assessed trait modularity and phenotypic integration to see how
 heterozygosity affects trait coordination. Tetraploids showed the
 strongest and most consistently positive outbreeding responses,
 particularly in gamete production. Trait-specific outbreeding responses
 were positively associated with fitness across ploidy levels. Increasing
 heterozygosity was linked to a reduction in phenotypic integration,
 suggesting a loosening of trait correlations. Results show that
 outbreeding response is ploidy-dependent and functionally connected to
 fitness and it may act as a selective force promoting outcrossing in
 highly inbred lineages. We suggest that outbreeding response is a dynamic
 and evolvable trait, with implications for mating system transitions and
 diversification in selfing plant populations. Outbreeding response in
 Erysimum incanum is both ploidy-dependent and functionally tied to
 fitness, highlighting its potential role in promoting outcrossing and
 driving mating system evolution in inbred plant populations.
description: # Data and code from: Effects of ploidy on relationship between
 outbreeding response and fitness in a plant selfing species Dataset DOI:
 [10.5061/dryad.ngf1vhj7w](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.ngf1vhj7w) ##
 Description of the data and file structure Here we provide the dataset
 generated during the performance of experiments done for the article
 "Effects of ploidy on relationship between outbreeding response and
 fitness in a plant selfing species" and a HTML file with a detailed
 development of written code to analyze them using R. ### Files and
 variables #### File: Scripts_OR_EcolEvol.html **Description:** HTML file
 containing detailed explanations and code to analyse data. #### File:
 Data_OutbreedingResponse_2025.csv **Description:** CSV separated by
 semi-colon with comma as decimal mark containing all phenotypic data
 collected in the experiment and used for statistical analysis. NAs
 contained in the file indicate there was not a given measurement for that
 individual due to loss of data or impossibility to measure while other
 measurements were done. ##### Variables * *Name*: Family name (from the
 same mother plant). * *Ploidy*: Level of ploidy (2n / 4n / 6n). *
 *Heterozygosity*: Level of heterozygosity (0=null; 1=maximum;
 0.5=reduced). * *Survival*: Number of plants which survived per family. *
 *Germination*: Rate of germination of seeds per pot. * *Leaves*: Number of
 leaves at beginning of life cycle of each plant. * *Pop*: Population where
 seed came from. * *Petal*: Petal length (mm). * *Diametre*: Corolla
 diametre (distance between edges of two opposed petals, in mm). *
 *Corolla_Length*: Corolla tube length from petals to the base of the
 corolla (in mm). * *FL*: Long stamen length (mm). * *FC*: Short stamen
 length (mm). * *E*: Stigma length (mm). * *HK*: Herkogamy (difference
 between long stamen and stigma, in mm). * *Height*: Plant height (cm). *
 *Stalk*: Number of stalks in a given plant. * *Stalk_dmt*: Diametre of the
 stalk rosette (cm). * *Fruits*: Number of fruits. * *Flowers*: Number of
 flowers. * *Fruitset*: Ratio of fruits. * *mean_pollen_log*: Mean amount
 of pollen per flower (grains/flower). Standardized. * *Mean_seeds*: Mean
 amount of seeds per flower. * *Mean_abortions*: Mean amount of abortions
 per flower. * *Mean_ovules*: Mean amount of ovules per flower. *
 *Mean_total_ovules*: Total sum in mean amount of ovules. *
 *Total_ovules_plant*: Total amount of ovules per plant. *
 *Total_polen_planta_log*: Total amount of pollen per plant standardized. *
 *Total_polen_planta*: Total amount of pollen per plant. * *P.Ov*: Ratio of
 total polen amount / total ovule amount. * Fitness: Product of seedset and
 fruitset in each individual. * *Fitness_Norm*: Fitness normalized by the
 maximum product of seedset and fruitset at each ploidy level. * *seedset*:
 Ratio seeds/fruits. * *mean_pollen*: Mean amount of pollen per flower. ##
 Code/software We used R 4.3.3 to develop the code to analyse data and
 generate tables and figures following the scripts contained in HTML file.
 HTML file was made with R Markdown in RStudio. We indicate libraries and
 functions used in each script, except PHENIX package which was used to
 calculate phenotypic integration index.