Shifts in reproductive strategies in the evolutionary trajectory of plant lineages

Understanding the maintenance and shift in reproductive strategies is a fundamental question in evolutionary research.Although many efforts have been made to compare different reproductive strategies,the association between reproductive strategies and lineage divergence is largely unknown.To explore the impact of different reproductive strategies on lineage divergence,we investigated the evolution of clonality in Saxifraga sect.Irregulares+Heterisia.By integrating several lines of evidence,we found that the loss of clonality in Irregulares+Heterisia was associated with a progressive increase in diversification rate and intraspecific morphological diversity but with a reduction in species distribution range.Our findings provide insights into the ecological and evolutionary effects of different reproductive strategies,suggesting the necessity of integrating clonality into ecological and evolutional research.

Microstructure,Mechanical Properties and Die-Filling Behavior of High-Performance Die-Cast Al-Mg-Si-Mn Alloy

This work aims to reveal the relationships between the microstructure, mechanical properties and flow behavior of die-casting AlMg5Si2Mn alloy. Results indicated that the microstructure of the die-cast AlMgsSi2Mn consists of α1-Al grains, fine-size α2-Al grains and （Al ＋ Mg2Si） eutectic. The surface layer observed has the thickness in a range of 120-135 μm, while an ellipse-like surface layer edge is observed in the corner of the plateqike sample. Tensile strength and elongation （3） of the specimens are slightly decreased along the die-filling direction due to the backflow of melt. Pure （Al ＋ Mg2Si） eutectic layer and ultra-fine-size α2-Al grains observed are around the overflow channels. Mass feeding is predominantly responsible for the superior mechanical properties of the round bars as compared to those of plate-like samples.