Thousand ways to die —evolutionary and molecular background of excessive early developmental mortality in Scots pine

This research project investigates the complex reproductive dynamics and high early developmental mortality in Scots pine (Pinus

sylvestris). Polyzygotic polyembryony, where multiple genetically distinct embryos develop from a single seed, leads to early embryo

mortality before the dominant embryo initiates organogenesis. We explore how inbreeding depression and potential incompatibility

systems affect embryo viability. Utilizing advanced methods such as spatial transcriptomics, we aim to uncover gene expression

dynamics during embryo development. Our goal is to understand how mutation, purifying selection, and adaptation influence embryo

viability, which can enhance forest management and seed quality.