1
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Dorin A, Shrestha M, Garcia JE, Burd M, Dyer AG. Ancient insect vision tuned for flight among rocks and plants underpins natural flower colour diversity. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20232018. [PMID: 38113941 PMCID: PMC10730291 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the origins of flower colour signalling to pollinators is fundamental to evolutionary biology and ecology. Flower colour evolves under pressure from visual systems of pollinators, like birds and insects, to establish global signatures among flowers with similar pollinators. However, an understanding of the ancient origins of this relationship remains elusive. Here, we employ computer simulations to generate artificial flower backgrounds assembled from real material sample spectra of rocks, leaves and dead plant materials, against which to test flowers' visibility to birds and bees. Our results indicate how flower colours differ from their backgrounds in strength, and the distributions of salient reflectance features when perceived by these key pollinators, to reveal the possible origins of their colours. Since Hymenopteran visual perception evolved before flowers, the terrestrial chromatic context for its evolution to facilitate flight and orientation consisted of rocks, leaves, sticks and bark. Flowers exploited these pre-evolved visual capacities of their visitors, in response evolving chromatic features to signal to bees, and differently to birds, against a backdrop of other natural materials. Consequently, it appears that today's flower colours may be an evolutionary response to the vision of diurnal pollinators navigating their world millennia prior to the first flowers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan Dorin
- Department of Data Science and AI, Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Australia
| | - Mani Shrestha
- Department of Disturbance Ecology, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research, University of Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Jair E. Garcia
- Melbourne Data Analytics Platform, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Connect, Parkville 3052, Australia
| | - Martin Burd
- Department of Biology, Indiana University Herbarium, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Adrian G. Dyer
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Australia
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2
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León‐Osper M, Narbona E. Unravelling the mystery of red flowers in the Mediterranean Basin: How to be conspicuous in a place dominated by hymenopteran pollinators. Funct Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Melissa León‐Osper
- Departamento de Biología Molecular e Ingeniería Bioquímica, Universidad Pablo de Olavide Sevilla España
| | - Eduardo Narbona
- Departamento de Biología Molecular e Ingeniería Bioquímica, Universidad Pablo de Olavide Sevilla España
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3
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Garcia JE, Hannah L, Shrestha M, Burd M, Dyer AG. Fly pollination drives convergence of flower coloration. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 233:52-61. [PMID: 34460949 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Plant-pollinator interactions provide a natural experiment in signal evolution. Flowers are known to have evolved colour signals that maximise their ease of detection by the visual systems of important pollinators such as bees. Whilst most angiosperms are bee pollinated, our understanding on how the second largest group of pollinating insects, flies, may influence flower colour evolution is limited to the use of categorical models of colour discrimination that do not reflect the small colour differences commonly observed between and within flower species. Here we show by comparing flower signals that occur in different environments including total absence of bees, a mixture of bee and fly pollination within one plant family (Orchidaceae) from a single community, and typical flowers from a broad taxonomic sampling of the same geographic region, that perceptually different colours, empirically measured, do evolve in response to different types of insect pollinators. We show evidence of both convergence among fly-pollinated floral colours but also of divergence and displacement of colour signals in the absence of bee pollinators. Our findings give an insight into how both ecological and agricultural systems may be affected by changes in pollinator distributions around the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jair E Garcia
- Bio-Inspired Digital Sensing Laboratory, School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, Vic., 3000, Australia
| | - Lea Hannah
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, 2750, Australia
| | - Mani Shrestha
- Department of Disturbance Ecology, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, 95447, Germany
- School of Information Technology, Monash University, Clayton, Vic., 3168, Australia
| | - Martin Burd
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Vic., 3168, Australia
| | - Adrian G Dyer
- Bio-Inspired Digital Sensing Laboratory, School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, Vic., 3000, Australia
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4
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Garcia JE, Dyer AG, Burd M, Shrestha M. Flower colour and size signals differ depending on geographical location and altitude region. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2021; 23:905-914. [PMID: 34546624 DOI: 10.1111/plb.13326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Bees are major pollinators of angiosperms and have phylogenetically conserved colour vision but differ in how various key species use achromatic information that is vital for both flower detection and size processing. We modelled green contrast and colour contrast signals from flowers of different countries where there are well established differences in availability of model bee species along altitudinal gradients. We tested for consistency in visual signals as expected from generalization in pollination principles using phylogenetically informed linear models. Patterns of chromatic contrast, achromatic green contrast and flower size differed among the three floras we examined. In Nepal there is a significant positive correlation between flower size and colour contrast in the subalpine region, but a negative correlation at the lower altitudes. At high elevations in Norway, where pollinators other than bees are common, flower size was positively correlated with colour contrast. At low and medium altitudes in Norway and in Australia, we did not observe a significant relationship between size and colour contrast. We thus find that the relationship between size, green and colour contrast cannot be generalized across communities, thus suggesting that flower visual signal adaptations to local pollinators are not limited to chromatic contrast.
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Affiliation(s)
- J E Garcia
- Bio-Inspired Digital Sensing (BIDs Lab), School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - A G Dyer
- Bio-Inspired Digital Sensing (BIDs Lab), School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - M Burd
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - M Shrestha
- Bio-Inspired Digital Sensing (BIDs Lab), School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Disturbance Ecology, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
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5
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Narbona E, del Valle JC, Arista M, Buide ML, Ortiz PL. Major Flower Pigments Originate Different Colour Signals to Pollinators. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.743850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Flower colour is mainly due to the presence and type of pigments. Pollinator preferences impose selection on flower colour that ultimately acts on flower pigments. Knowing how pollinators perceive flowers with different pigments becomes crucial for a comprehensive understanding of plant-pollinator communication and flower colour evolution. Based on colour space models, we studied whether main groups of pollinators, specifically hymenopterans, dipterans, lepidopterans and birds, differentially perceive flower colours generated by major pigment groups. We obtain reflectance data and conspicuousness to pollinators of flowers containing one of the pigment groups more frequent in flowers: chlorophylls, carotenoids and flavonoids. Flavonoids were subsequently classified in UV-absorbing flavonoids, aurones-chalcones and the anthocyanins cyanidin, pelargonidin, delphinidin, and malvidin derivatives. We found that flower colour loci of chlorophylls, carotenoids, UV-absorbing flavonoids, aurones-chalcones, and anthocyanins occupied different regions of the colour space models of these pollinators. The four groups of anthocyanins produced a unique cluster of colour loci. Interestingly, differences in colour conspicuousness among the pigment groups were almost similar in the bee, fly, butterfly, and bird visual space models. Aurones-chalcones showed the highest chromatic contrast values, carotenoids displayed intermediate values, and chlorophylls, UV-absorbing flavonoids and anthocyanins presented the lowest values. In the visual model of bees, flowers with UV-absorbing flavonoids (i.e., white flowers) generated the highest achromatic contrasts. Ours findings suggest that in spite of the almost omnipresence of floral anthocyanins in angiosperms, carotenoids and aurones-chalcones generates higher colour conspicuousness for main functional groups of pollinators.
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6
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Howard SR, Prendergast K, Symonds MRE, Shrestha M, Dyer AG. Spontaneous choices for insect-pollinated flower shapes by wild non-eusocial halictid bees. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:271069. [PMID: 34318316 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.242457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The majority of angiosperms require animal pollination for reproduction, and insects are the dominant group of animal pollinators. Bees are considered one of the most important and abundant insect pollinators. Research into bee behaviour and foraging decisions has typically centred on managed eusocial bee species, including Apis mellifera and Bombus terrestris. Non-eusocial bees are understudied with respect to foraging strategies and decision making, such as flower preferences. Understanding whether there are fundamental foraging strategies and preferences that are features of insect groups can provide key insights into the evolution of flower-pollinator co-evolution. In the current study, Lasioglossum (Chilalictus) lanarium and Lasioglossum (Parasphecodes) sp., two native Australian generalist halictid bees, were tested for flower shape preferences between native insect-pollinated and bird-pollinated flowers. Each bee was presented with achromatic images of either insect-pollinated or bird-pollinated flowers in a circular arena. Both native bee species demonstrated a significant preference for images of insect-pollinated flowers. These preferences are similar to those found in A. mellifera, suggesting that flower shape preference may be a deep-rooted evolutionary occurrence within bees. With growing interest in the sensory capabilities of non-eusocial bees as alternative pollinators, the current study also provides a valuable framework for further behavioural testing of such species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scarlett R Howard
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC 3125, Australia
| | - Kit Prendergast
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
| | - Matthew R E Symonds
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC 3125, Australia
| | - Mani Shrestha
- Disturbance Ecology, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany.,Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Adrian G Dyer
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia.,Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
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7
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Dyer AG, Jentsch A, Burd M, Garcia JE, Giejsztowt J, Camargo MGG, Tjørve E, Tjørve KMC, White P, Shrestha M. Fragmentary Blue: Resolving the Rarity Paradox in Flower Colors. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 11:618203. [PMID: 33552110 PMCID: PMC7859648 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.618203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Blue is a favored color of many humans. While blue skies and oceans are a common visual experience, this color is less frequently observed in flowers. We first review how blue has been important in human culture, and thus how our perception of blue has likely influenced the way of scientifically evaluating signals produced in nature, including approaches as disparate as Goethe's Farbenlehre, Linneaus' plant taxonomy, and current studies of plant-pollinator networks. We discuss the fact that most animals, however, have different vision to humans; for example, bee pollinators have trichromatic vision based on UV-, Blue-, and Green-sensitive photoreceptors with innate preferences for predominantly short-wavelength reflecting colors, including what we perceive as blue. The subsequent evolution of blue flowers may be driven by increased competition for pollinators, both because of a harsher environment (as at high altitude) or from high diversity and density of flowering plants (as in nutrient-rich meadows). The adaptive value of blue flowers should also be reinforced by nutrient richness or other factors, abiotic and biotic, that may reduce extra costs of blue-pigments synthesis. We thus provide new perspectives emphasizing that, while humans view blue as a less frequently evolved color in nature, to understand signaling, it is essential to employ models of biologically relevant observers. By doing so, we conclude that short wavelength reflecting blue flowers are indeed frequent in nature when considering the color vision and preferences of bees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian G. Dyer
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Anke Jentsch
- Department of Disturbance Ecology, Bayreuth Center for Ecology and Environmental Research, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Martin Burd
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Jair E. Garcia
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Justyna Giejsztowt
- Department of Disturbance Ecology, Bayreuth Center for Ecology and Environmental Research, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Maria G. G. Camargo
- Phenology Lab, Biosciences Institute, Department of Biodiversity, UNESP – São Paulo State University, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Even Tjørve
- Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Lillehammer, Norway
| | | | - Peter White
- Department of Biology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Mani Shrestha
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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8
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Tai KC, Shrestha M, Dyer AG, Yang EC, Wang CN. Floral Color Diversity: How Are Signals Shaped by Elevational Gradient on the Tropical-Subtropical Mountainous Island of Taiwan? FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:582784. [PMID: 33391297 DOI: 10.5061/dryad.63xsj3v08] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Pollinators with different vision are a key driver of flower coloration. Islands provide important insights into evolutionary processes, and previous work suggests islands may have restricted flower colors. Due to both species richness with high endemism in tropical-subtropical environments, and potentially changing pollinator distributions with altitude, we evaluated flower color diversity across the mountainous island of Taiwan in a comparative framework to understand the cause of color diversity. We sampled flower color signaling on the tropical-subtropical island of Taiwan considering altitudes from sea level to 3300 m to inform how over-dispersion, random processes or clustering may influence flower signaling. We employed a model of bee color space to plot loci from 727 species to enable direct comparisons to data sets from continental studies representing Northern and Southern Hemispheres, and also a continental mountain region. We observed that flower color diversity was similar to flowers that exist in mainland continental studies, and also showed evidence that flowers predominantly had evolved color signals that closely matched bee color preferences. At high altitudes floras tend to be phylogenetically clustered rather than over-dispersed, and their floral colors exhibited weak phylogenetic signal which is consistent with character displacement that facilitated the co-existence of related species. Overall flower color signaling on a tropical-subtropical island is mainly influenced by color preferences of key bee pollinators, a pattern consistent with continental studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- King-Chun Tai
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Mani Shrestha
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Adrian G Dyer
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - En-Cheng Yang
- Department of Entomology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Neng Wang
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
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9
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Whitney KD, Smith AK, White TE, Williams CF. Birds Perceive More Intraspecific Color Variation in Bird-Pollinated Than Bee-Pollinated Flowers. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:590347. [PMID: 33281850 PMCID: PMC7705070 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.590347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Pollinator-mediated selection is expected to constrain floral color variation within plant populations. Here, we test for patterns of constraint on floral color variation in 38 bee- and/or hummingbird-pollinated plant species from Colorado, United States. We collected reflectance spectra for at least 15 individuals in each of 1-3 populations of each species (total 78 populations) and modeled perceived color variation in both bee and bird visual spaces. We hypothesized that bees would perceive less intraspecific color variation in bee-pollinated species (vs. bird-pollinated species), and reciprocally, birds would perceive less color variation in bird-pollinated species (vs. bee-pollinated species). In keeping with the higher dimensionality of the bird visual system, birds typically perceived much more color variation than bees, regardless of plant pollination system. Contrary to our hypothesis, bees perceived equal color variation within plant species from the two pollination systems, and birds perceived more color variation in species that they pollinate than in bee-pollinated species. We propose hypotheses to account for the results, including reduced long-wavelength sensitivity in bees (vs. birds), and the ideas that potential categorical color vision in birds and larger cognitive capacities of birds (vs. bees) reduces their potential discrimination against floral color variants in species that they pollinate, resulting in less stabilizing selection on color within bird-pollinated vs. bee-pollinated species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth D. Whitney
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States
- Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Crested Butte, CO, United States
| | - Asher K. Smith
- Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Crested Butte, CO, United States
| | - Thomas E. White
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Charles F. Williams
- Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Crested Butte, CO, United States
- Department of Biological Sciences, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID, United States
- Ray J. Davis Herbarium, Idaho Museum of Natural History, Pocatello, ID, United States
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10
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Chen Z, Niu Y, Liu CQ, Sun H. Red flowers differ in shades between pollination systems and across continents. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2020; 126:837-848. [PMID: 32478385 PMCID: PMC7539362 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcaa103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2019] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Floral colour is a primary signal in plant-pollinator interactions. The association between red flowers and bird pollination is well known, explained by the 'bee avoidance' and 'bird attraction' hypotheses. Nevertheless, the relative importance of these two hypotheses has rarely been investigated on a large scale, even in terms of colour perception per se. METHODS We collected reflectance spectra for 130 red flower species from different continents and ascertained their pollination systems. The spectra were analysed using colour vision models for bees and (three types of) birds, to estimate colour perception by these pollinators. The differences in colour conspicuousness (chromatic and achromatic contrast, purity) and in spectral properties between pollination systems and across continents were analysed. KEY RESULTS Compared with other floral colours, red flowers are very conspicuous to birds and much less conspicuous to bees. The red flowers pollinated by bees and by birds are more conspicuous to their respective pollinators. Compared with the bird flowers in the Old World, the New World ones are less conspicuous to bees and may be more conspicuous not only to violet-sensitive but also to ultraviolet-sensitive birds. These differences can be explained by the different properties of the secondary reflectance peak (SP). SP intensity is higher in red flowers pollinated by bees than those pollinated by birds (especially New World bird flowers). A transition from high SP to low SP in red flowers can induce chromatic contrast changes, with a greater effect on reducing attraction to bees than enhancing attraction to birds. CONCLUSIONS Shades of red flowers differ between pollination systems. Moreover, red bird flowers are more specialized in the New World than in the Old World. The evolution towards colour specialization is more likely to result in higher efficiency of bee avoidance than bird attraction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yang Niu
- CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Chang-Qiu Liu
- Center for Gardens and Horticultural Studies, Guangxi Institute of Botany, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guilin, Guangxi, China
| | - Hang Sun
- CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
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11
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo Gruson
- CEFEUniv MontpellierCNRSUniv Paul Valéry Montpellier 3EPHEIRD Montpellier France
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12
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Lichtenberg EM, Heiling JM, Bronstein JL, Barker JL. Noisy communities and signal detection: why do foragers visit rewardless flowers? Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190486. [PMID: 32420846 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Floral communities present complex and shifting resource landscapes for flower-foraging animals. Strong similarities among the floral displays of different plant species, paired with high variability in reward distributions across time and space, can weaken correlations between floral signals and reward status. As a result, it should be difficult for foragers to discriminate between rewarding and rewardless flowers. Building on signal detection theory in behavioural ecology, we use hypothetical probability density functions to examine graphically how plant signals pose challenges to forager decision-making. We argue that foraging costs associated with incorrect acceptance of rewardless flowers and incorrect rejection of rewarding ones interact with community-level reward availability to determine the extent to which rewardless and rewarding species should overlap in flowering time. We discuss the evolutionary consequences of these phenomena from both the forager and the plant perspectives. This article is part of the theme issue 'Signal detection theory in recognition systems: from evolving models to experimental tests'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elinor M Lichtenberg
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences and Advanced Environmental Research Institute, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA
| | - Jacob M Heiling
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Judith L Bronstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Jessica L Barker
- The Behavioural Insights Team, UK.,Interacting Minds Centre, Aarhus University, Denmark
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13
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Peng P, Stuart‐Fox D, Chen S, Tan EJ, Kuo G, Blamires SJ, Tso I, Elgar MA. High contrast yellow mosaic patterns are prey attractants for orb‐weaving spiders. Funct Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Po Peng
- School of BioSciences University of Melbourne Parkville Vic. Australia
| | - Devi Stuart‐Fox
- School of BioSciences University of Melbourne Parkville Vic. Australia
| | - Szu‐Wei Chen
- Agricultural Policy Research Centre Agricultural Technology Research Institute Taipei Taiwan
| | | | - Guan‐Lin Kuo
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology University of Leicester Leicester UK
| | - Sean J. Blamires
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre School of Biological Earth & Environmental Sciences The University of New South Wales Sydney NSW Australia
| | - I‐Min Tso
- Department of Life Science Tunghai University Taichung Taiwan
| | - Mark A. Elgar
- School of BioSciences University of Melbourne Parkville Vic. Australia
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14
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LeCroy KA, Arceo-Gómez G, Koski MH, Morehouse NI, Ashman TL. Floral Color Properties of Serpentine Seep Assemblages Depend on Community Size and Species Richness. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:602951. [PMID: 33488651 PMCID: PMC7820368 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.602951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Functional traits, particularly those that impact fitness, can shape the ecological and evolutionary relationships among coexisting species of the same trophic level. Thus, examining these traits and properties of their distributions (underdispersion, overdispersion) within communities can provide insights into key ecological interactions (e.g., competition, facilitation) involved in community assembly. For instance, the distribution of floral colors in a community may reflect pollinator-mediated interactions between sympatric plant species, and the phylogenetic distribution of color can inform how evolutionary contingencies can continue to shape extant community assemblages. Additionally, the abundance and species richness of the local habitat may influence the type or strength of ecological interactions among co-occurring species. To evaluate the impact of community size and species richness on mechanisms shaping the distribution of ecologically relevant traits, we examined how floral color (defined by pollinator color vision models) is distributed within co-flowering assemblages. We modeled floral reflectance spectra of 55 co-flowering species using honeybee (Apis mellifera) and syrphid fly (Eristalis tenax) visual systems to assess the distributions of flower color across 14 serpentine seep communities in California. We found that phylogenetic relatedness had little impact on the observed color assemblages. However, smaller seep communities with lower species richness were more overdispersed for flower color than larger, more species-rich communities. Results support that competitive exclusion could be a dominant process shaping the species richness of flower color in smaller-sized communities with lower species richness, but this is less detectable or overwhelmed by other processes at larger, more speciose communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn A. LeCroy
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
- *Correspondence: Kathryn A. LeCroy,
| | - Gerardo Arceo-Gómez
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Department of Biological Sciences, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, United States
| | - Matthew H. Koski
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, United States
| | - Nathan I. Morehouse
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Tia-Lynn Ashman
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
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15
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Ogutcen E, Durand K, Wolowski M, Clavijo L, Graham C, Glauser G, Perret M. Chemical Basis of Floral Color Signals in Gesneriaceae: The Effect of Alternative Anthocyanin Pathways. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:604389. [PMID: 33381138 PMCID: PMC7767864 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.604389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Changes in floral pigmentation can have dramatic effects on angiosperm evolution by making flowers either attractive or inconspicuous to different pollinator groups. Flower color largely depends on the type and abundance of pigments produced in the petals, but it is still unclear whether similar color signals rely on same biosynthetic pathways and to which extent the activation of certain pathways influences the course of floral color evolution. To address these questions, we investigated the physical and chemical aspects of floral color in the Neotropical Gesnerioideae (ca. 1,200 spp.), in which two types of anthocyanins, hydroxyanthocyanins, and deoxyanthocyanins, have been recorded as floral pigments. Using spectrophotometry, we measured flower reflectance for over 150 species representing different clades and pollination syndromes. We analyzed these reflectance data to estimate how the Gesnerioideae flowers are perceived by bees and hummingbirds using the visual system models of these pollinators. Floral anthocyanins were further identified using high performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. We found that orange/red floral colors in Gesnerioideae are produced either by deoxyanthocyanins (e.g., apigenidin, luteolinidin) or hydroxyanthocyanins (e.g., pelargonidin). The presence of deoxyanthocyanins in several lineages suggests that the activation of the deoxyanthocyanin pathway has evolved multiple times in the Gesnerioideae. The hydroxyanthocyanin-producing flowers span a wide range of colors, which enables them to be discriminated by hummingbirds or bees. By contrast, color diversity among the deoxyanthocyanin-producing species is lower and mainly represented at longer wavelengths, which is in line with the hue discrimination optima for hummingbirds. These results indicate that Gesnerioideae have evolved two different biochemical mechanisms to generate orange/red flowers, which is associated with hummingbird pollination. Our findings also suggest that the activation of the deoxyanthocyanin pathway has restricted flower color diversification to orange/red hues, supporting the potential constraining role of this alternative biosynthetic pathway on the evolutionary outcome of phenotypical and ecological diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ezgi Ogutcen
- Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques de la Ville de Genève, Department of Botany and Plant Biology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Karine Durand
- Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques de la Ville de Genève, Department of Botany and Plant Biology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Marina Wolowski
- Institute of Natural Sciences, Federal University of Alfenas, Alfenas, Brazil
| | - Laura Clavijo
- Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, National University of Colombia, UNAL, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Catherine Graham
- Swiss Federal Research Institute (WSL), Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Gaétan Glauser
- Neuchatel Platform of Analytical Chemistry, University of Neuchatel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Mathieu Perret
- Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques de la Ville de Genève, Department of Botany and Plant Biology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- *Correspondence: Mathieu Perret,
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Coimbra G, Araujo C, Bergamo PJ, Freitas L, Rodríguez-Gironés MA. Flower Conspicuousness to Bees Across Pollination Systems: A Generalized Test of the Bee-Avoidance Hypothesis. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:558684. [PMID: 33072143 PMCID: PMC7542005 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.558684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Flower signals of bee- and bird-pollinated plants have converged via pollinator-mediated evolution, driven by the visual system of their respective pollinators. For bird flowers, sensory exclusion of less effective bees is also important and such exclusion is also mediated by floral morphological filters. Likewise, other systems based on pollination by red-sensitive insects are also associated with red flowers displaying lower short-wavelength secondary peaks of reflectance, which decreases detectability to animals that are less sensitive to red, such as bees. These flowers often also present long tubes. Here, we tested a generalization of the bee-avoidance hypothesis in order to assess if it holds only for bird flowers or for other non-bee pollination systems as well. For this, we compared flower contrasts and spectral purity in bee visual systems as proxies for conspicuousness among four kinds of pollination systems: bee-visited flowers, insect-visited flowers (including bees and other insects), non-bee insect flowers (flowers visited by red-sensitive insects such as flies, butterflies and beetles, but not bees), and bird-visited flowers. We also assessed the association between conspicuousness to bees and flower depth, used as a proxy for morphological exclusion of bees. Overall, flower conspicuousness to bees differed only between insect (all three groups) and bird flowers, due to lower visual signals for the latter. This suggests that bee sensory exclusion via color signals is exclusive to bird flowers, while non-bee insect flowers might use other sensory channels to exclude bees, such as olfactory signals. Visual bee avoidance might be a mechanism exclusive to plants pollinated by specific guilds of red-sensitive insects not well represented in our sample. We also found a negative association between flower conspicuousness to bees and flower depth, suggesting an interplay of morphological and spectral traits in discouraging bee visits. Our results support the bee-avoidance hypothesis exclusively for bird flowers and an overall association between lower visual signals to bees and long tubes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Coimbra
- Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- *Correspondence: Gabriel Coimbra,
| | - Carina Araujo
- Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Tai KC, Shrestha M, Dyer AG, Yang EC, Wang CN. Floral Color Diversity: How Are Signals Shaped by Elevational Gradient on the Tropical-Subtropical Mountainous Island of Taiwan? FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:582784. [PMID: 33391297 PMCID: PMC7773721 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.582784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Pollinators with different vision are a key driver of flower coloration. Islands provide important insights into evolutionary processes, and previous work suggests islands may have restricted flower colors. Due to both species richness with high endemism in tropical-subtropical environments, and potentially changing pollinator distributions with altitude, we evaluated flower color diversity across the mountainous island of Taiwan in a comparative framework to understand the cause of color diversity. We sampled flower color signaling on the tropical-subtropical island of Taiwan considering altitudes from sea level to 3300 m to inform how over-dispersion, random processes or clustering may influence flower signaling. We employed a model of bee color space to plot loci from 727 species to enable direct comparisons to data sets from continental studies representing Northern and Southern Hemispheres, and also a continental mountain region. We observed that flower color diversity was similar to flowers that exist in mainland continental studies, and also showed evidence that flowers predominantly had evolved color signals that closely matched bee color preferences. At high altitudes floras tend to be phylogenetically clustered rather than over-dispersed, and their floral colors exhibited weak phylogenetic signal which is consistent with character displacement that facilitated the co-existence of related species. Overall flower color signaling on a tropical-subtropical island is mainly influenced by color preferences of key bee pollinators, a pattern consistent with continental studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- King-Chun Tai
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Mani Shrestha
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- *Correspondence: Mani Shrestha, ;
| | - Adrian G. Dyer
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - En-Cheng Yang
- Department of Entomology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Neng Wang
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Chun-Neng Wang,
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18
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Shrestha M, Dyer AG, Garcia JE, Burd M. Floral colour structure in two Australian herbaceous communities: it depends on who is looking. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2019; 124:221-232. [PMID: 31008511 PMCID: PMC6758583 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcz043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2018] [Accepted: 03/14/2019] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Pollinator-mediated interactions between plant species may affect the composition of angiosperm communities. Floral colour signals should play a role in these interactions, but the role will arise from the visual perceptions and behavioural responses of multiple pollinators. Recent advances in the visual sciences can be used to inform our understanding of these perceptions and responses. We outline the application of appropriate visual principles to the analysis of the annual cycle of floral colour structure in two Australian herbaceous communities. METHODS We used spectrographic measurements of petal reflectance to determine the location of flowers in a model of hymenopteran colour vision. These representations of colour perception were then translated to a behaviourally relevant metric of colour differences using empirically calibrated colour discrimination functions for four hymenopteran species. We then analysed the pattern of colour similarity in terms of this metric in samples of co-flowering plants over the course of a year. We used the same method to analyse the annual pattern of phylogenetic relatedness of co-flowering plants in order to compare colour structure and phylogenetic structure. KEY RESULTS Co-flowering communities at any given date seldom had colour assemblages significantly different from random. Non-random structure, both dispersion and clustering, occurred occasionally, but depended on which bee observer is considered. The degree of colour similarity was unrelated to phylogenetic similarity within a co-flowering community. CONCLUSIONS Perceived floral colour structure varied with the sensory capabilities of the observer. The lack of colour structure at most sample dates, particularly the rarity of strong dispersion, suggests that plants do not use chromatic signals primarily to enable bees to discriminate between co-flowering species. It is more likely that colours make plants detectable in a complex landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mani Shrestha
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Adrian G Dyer
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Physiology, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
- For correspondence. E-mail
| | - Jair E Garcia
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Martin Burd
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
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19
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Shrestha M, Burd M, Garcia JE, Dorin A, Dyer AG. Colour evolution within orchids depends on whether the pollinator is a bee or a fly. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2019; 21:745-752. [PMID: 30681768 DOI: 10.1111/plb.12968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2019] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Orchids are a classic angiosperm model for understanding biotic pollination. We studied orchid species within two species-rich herbaceous communities that are known to have either hymenopteran or dipteran insects as the dominant pollinators, in order to understand how flower colour relates to pollinator visual systems. We analysed features of the floral reflectance spectra that are significant to pollinator visual systems and used models of dipteran and hymenopteran colour vision to characterise the chromatic signals used by fly-pollinated and bee-pollinated orchid species. In contrast to bee-pollinated flowers, fly-pollinated flowers had distinctive points of rapid reflectance change at long wavelengths and a complete absence of such spectral features at short wavelengths. Fly-pollinated flowers also had significantly more restricted loci than bee-pollinated flowers in colour space models of fly and bee vision alike. Globally, bee-pollinated flowers are known to have distinctive, consistent colour signals. Our findings of different signals for fly pollination is consistent with pollinator-mediated selection on orchid species that results from the distinctive features of fly visual systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Shrestha
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - M Burd
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - J E Garcia
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - A Dorin
- Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - A G Dyer
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Physiology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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20
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Paulus HF. Speciation, pattern recognition and the maximization of pollination: general questions and answers given by the reproductive biology of the orchid genus Ophrys. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2019; 205:285-300. [PMID: 31134328 PMCID: PMC6579770 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-019-01350-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2019] [Revised: 05/17/2019] [Accepted: 05/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Pollination syndromes evolved under the reciprocal selection of pollinators and plants (coevolution). Here, the two main methods are reviewed which are applied to prove such selection. (i) The indirect method is a cross-lineage approach using phylogenetical trees to understand the phylogeny. Thus, features of single origin can be distinguished from those with multiple origins. Nearly all pollination modes originate in multiple evolutionary ways. (ii) The most frequent pollinators cause the strongest selection because they are responsible for the plant's most successful reproduction. The European sexually deceptive orchid genus Ophrys provides an example of a more direct way to prove selection because the attraction of a pollinator is species specific. Most members of the genus have remarkably variable flowers. The variability of the signals given off by the flowers enables the deceived pollinator males to learn individual flower patterns. They thus avoid already visited Ophrys flowers, interpreting them as females rejecting them. As the males will not return to these individually recognizable flowers, the pollinators´ learning behavior causes cross-pollination and prevents the orchid's self-pollination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannes F Paulus
- Department of Integrative Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstr.14, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
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21
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de Camargo MGG, Lunau K, Batalha MA, Brings S, de Brito VLG, Morellato LPC. How flower colour signals allure bees and hummingbirds: a community-level test of the bee avoidance hypothesis. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2019; 222:1112-1122. [PMID: 30444536 DOI: 10.1111/nph.15594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2018] [Accepted: 11/08/2018] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Colour signals are the main floral trait for plant-pollinator communication. Owing to visual specificities, flower visitors exert different selective pressures on flower colour signals of plant communities. Although they evolved to attract pollinators, matching their visual sensitivity and colour preferences, floral signals may also evolve to avoid less efficient pollinators and antagonistic flower visitors. We evaluated evidence for the bee avoidance hypothesis in a Neotropical community pollinated mainly by bees and hummingbirds, the campo rupestre. We analysed flower reflectance spectra, compared colour variables of bee-pollinated flowers (bee-flowers; 244 species) and hummingbird-pollinated flowers (hummingbird-flowers; 39 species), and looked for evidence of bee sensorial exclusion in hummingbird-flowers. Flowers were equally contrasting for hummingbirds. Hummingbird-flowers were less conspicuous to bees, reflecting mainly long wavelengths and avoiding red-blind visitors. Bee-flowers reflected more short wavelengths, were more conspicuous to bees (higher contrasts and spectral purity) than hummingbird-flowers and displayed floral guides more frequently, favouring flower attractiveness, discrimination and handling by bees. Along with no phylogenetic signal, the differences in colour signal strategies between bee- and hummingbird-flowers are the first evidence of the bee avoidance hypothesis at a community level and reinforce the role of pollinators as a selective pressure driving flower colour diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Gabriela Gutierrez de Camargo
- Departamento de Botânica, Laboratório de Fenologia, Instituto de Biociências, UNESP-Universidade Estadual Paulista, 13506-900, Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brasil
| | - Klaus Lunau
- Department Biology, Institute of Sensory Ecology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Marco Antônio Batalha
- Department of Botany, Federal University of São Carlos, 13565-905, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sebastian Brings
- Department Biology, Institute of Sensory Ecology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | | | - Leonor Patrícia Cerdeira Morellato
- Departamento de Botânica, Laboratório de Fenologia, Instituto de Biociências, UNESP-Universidade Estadual Paulista, 13506-900, Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brasil
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22
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Dyer AG, Shrestha M. Assessment of floral colour signals at a community through the eyes of the birds and bees. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2019; 222:648-650. [PMID: 30895650 DOI: 10.1111/nph.15724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Adrian G Dyer
- Bio-inspired Digital Sensing (BIDS) Lab, School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, 3001, Australia
| | - Mani Shrestha
- Bio-inspired Digital Sensing (BIDS) Lab, School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, 3001, Australia
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23
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Bergamo PJ, Wolowski M, Telles FJ, De Brito VLG, Varassin IG, Sazima M. Bracts and long-tube flowers of hummingbird-pollinated plants are conspicuous to hummingbirds but not to bees. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/bly217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Joaquim Bergamo
- Plant Biology Department, Institute of Biology, State University of Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Ecology, Institute of Biology, State University of Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Marina Wolowski
- Institute of Natural Sciences, Federal University of Alfenas, Alfenas, MG, Brazil
| | - Francismeire Jane Telles
- Graduate Program in Ecology and Conservation of Natural Resources, Federal University of Uberlândia, campus Umuarama, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil
| | | | - Isabela Galarda Varassin
- Laboratório de Interações e Biologia Reprodutiva, Botany Department, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Marlies Sazima
- Plant Biology Department, Institute of Biology, State University of Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil
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24
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Howard SR, Shrestha M, Schramme J, Garcia JE, Avarguès-Weber A, Greentree AD, Dyer AG. Honeybees prefer novel insect-pollinated flower shapes over bird-pollinated flower shapes. Curr Zool 2018; 65:457-465. [PMID: 31413718 PMCID: PMC6688580 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoy095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2018] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant–pollinator interactions have a fundamental influence on flower evolution. Flower color signals are frequently tuned to the visual capabilities of important pollinators such as either bees or birds, but far less is known about whether flower shape influences the choices of pollinators. We tested European honeybee Apis mellifera preferences using novel achromatic (gray-scale) images of 12 insect-pollinated and 12 bird-pollinated native Australian flowers in Germany; thus, avoiding influences of color, odor, or prior experience. Independent bees were tested with a number of parameterized images specifically designed to assess preferences for size, shape, brightness, or the number of flower-like shapes present in an image. We show that honeybees have a preference for visiting images of insect-pollinated flowers and such a preference is most-likely mediated by holistic information rather than by individual image parameters. Our results indicate angiosperms have evolved flower shapes which influence the choice behavior of important pollinators, and thus suggest spatial achromatic flower properties are an important part of visual signaling for plant–pollinator interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scarlett R Howard
- Bio-inspired Digital Sensing (BIDS) Lab, School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia
| | - Mani Shrestha
- Bio-inspired Digital Sensing (BIDS) Lab, School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia.,Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Juergen Schramme
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Neurobiology (iDn), Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz 55122, Germany
| | - Jair E Garcia
- Bio-inspired Digital Sensing (BIDS) Lab, School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia
| | - Aurore Avarguès-Weber
- Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale, Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse 31400, France
| | - Andrew D Greentree
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics, School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia
| | - Adrian G Dyer
- Bio-inspired Digital Sensing (BIDS) Lab, School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia.,Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
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25
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Cooper WJ, Carter CB, Conith AJ, Rice AN, Westneat MW. The evolution of jaw protrusion mechanics is tightly coupled to bentho-pelagic divergence in damselfishes (Pomacentridae). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 220:652-666. [PMID: 27913600 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.143115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2016] [Accepted: 11/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Most species-rich lineages of aquatic organisms have undergone divergence between forms that feed from the substrate (benthic feeding) and forms that feed from the water column (pelagic feeding). Changes in trophic niche are frequently accompanied by changes in skull mechanics, and multiple fish lineages have evolved highly specialized biomechanical configurations that allow them to protrude their upper jaws toward the prey during feeding. Damselfishes (family Pomacentridae) are an example of a species-rich lineage with multiple trophic morphologies and feeding ecologies. We sought to determine whether bentho-pelagic divergence in the damselfishes is tightly coupled to changes in jaw protrusion ability. Using high-speed video recordings and kinematic analysis, we examined feeding performance in 10 species that include three examples of convergence on herbivory, three examples of convergence on omnivory and two examples of convergence on planktivory. We also utilized morphometrics to characterize the feeding morphology of an additional 40 species that represent all 29 damselfish genera. Comparative phylogenetic analyses were then used to examine the evolution of trophic morphology and biomechanical performance. We find that pelagic-feeding damselfishes (planktivores) are strongly differentiated from extensively benthic-feeding species (omnivores and herbivores) by their jaw protrusion ability, upper jaw morphology and the functional integration of upper jaw protrusion with lower jaw abduction. Most aspects of cranial form and function that separate these two ecological groups have evolved in correlation with each other and the evolution of the functional morphology of feeding in damselfishes has involved repeated convergence in form, function and ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- W James Cooper
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, PO Box 644236, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | - Casey B Carter
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, PO Box 644236, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | - Andrew J Conith
- Graduate Program in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, University of Massachusetts, 204C French Hall, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 230 Stockbridge Road, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Aaron N Rice
- Bioacoustics Research Program, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Mark W Westneat
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, The University of Chicago, 1027 E. 57th St., Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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26
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Shrestha M, Lunau K, Dorin A, Schulze B, Bischoff M, Burd M, Dyer AG. Floral colours in a world without birds and bees: the plants of Macquarie Island. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2016; 18:842-50. [PMID: 27016399 DOI: 10.1111/plb.12456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2016] [Accepted: 03/24/2016] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
We studied biotically pollinated angiosperms on Macquarie Island, a remote site in the Southern Ocean with a predominately or exclusively dipteran pollinator fauna, in an effort to understand how flower colour affects community assembly. We compared a distinctive group of cream-green Macquarie Island flowers to the flora of likely source pools of immigrants and to a continental flora from a high latitude in the northern hemisphere. We used both dipteran and hymenopteran colour models and phylogenetically informed analyses to explore the chromatic component of community assembly. The species with cream-green flowers are very restricted in colour space models of both fly vision and bee vision and represent a distinct group that plays a very minor role in other communities. It is unlikely that such a community could form through random immigration from continental source pools. Our findings suggest that fly pollination has imposed a strong ecological filter on Macquarie Island, favouring floral colours that are rare in continental floras. This is one of the strongest demonstrations that plant-pollinator interactions play an important role in plant community assembly. Future work exploring colour choices by dipteran flower visitors would be valuable.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Shrestha
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
- Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
| | - K Lunau
- Institut für Sinnesökologie, Department Biologie, Heinrich-Heine Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - A Dorin
- Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
| | - B Schulze
- Institut für Sinnesökologie, Department Biologie, Heinrich-Heine Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - M Bischoff
- Chemical Plant Ecology, University Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - M Burd
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
| | - A G Dyer
- School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
- Department of Physiology, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
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27
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van der Kooi CJ, Pen I, Staal M, Stavenga DG, Elzenga JTM. Competition for pollinators and intra-communal spectral dissimilarity of flowers. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2016; 18:56-62. [PMID: 25754608 DOI: 10.1111/plb.12328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2014] [Accepted: 03/03/2015] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Competition for pollinators occurs when, in a community of flowering plants, several simultaneously flowering plant species depend on the same pollinator. Competition for pollinators increases interspecific pollen transfer rates, thereby reducing the number of viable offspring. In order to decrease interspecific pollen transfer, plant species can distinguish themselves from competitors by having a divergent phenotype. Floral colour is an important signalling cue to attract potential pollinators and thus a major aspect of the flower phenotype. In this study, we analysed the amount of spectral dissimilarity of flowers among pollinator-competing plants in a Dutch nature reserve. We expected pollinator-competing plants to exhibit more spectral dissimilarity than non-competing plants. Using flower visitation data of 2 years, we determined the amount of competition for pollinators by different plant species. Plant species that were visited by the same pollinator were considered specialist and competing for that pollinator, whereas plant species visited by a broad array of pollinators were considered non-competing generalists. We used principal components analysis to quantify floral reflectance, and found evidence for enhanced spectral dissimilarity among plant species within specialist pollinator guilds (i.e. groups of plant species competing for the same pollinator). This is the first study that examined intra-communal dissimilarity in floral reflectance with a focus on the pollination system.
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Affiliation(s)
- C J van der Kooi
- Plant Physiology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Computational Physics, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - I Pen
- Theoretical Biology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - M Staal
- Plant Physiology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - D G Stavenga
- Computational Physics, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - J T M Elzenga
- Plant Physiology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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Renoult JP, Kelber A, Schaefer HM. Colour spaces in ecology and evolutionary biology. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2015; 92:292-315. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2015] [Revised: 09/14/2015] [Accepted: 09/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Julien P. Renoult
- Institute of Arts Creations Theories & Aesthetics, CNRS-University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne; 47 r. des bergers 75015 Paris France
| | - Almut Kelber
- Lund Vision Group, Department of Biology; Lund University; Helgonavägen 3 22362 Lund Sweden
| | - H. Martin Schaefer
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Animal Ecology; Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg; Hauptstrasse 1 79104 Freiburg Germany
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Fleishman LJ, Ogas B, Steinberg D, Leal M. Why do
Anolis
dewlaps glow? An analysis of a translucent visual signal. Funct Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Leo J. Fleishman
- Department of Biology Union College Schenectady New York12309 USA
| | - Brianna Ogas
- Department of Biology Union College Schenectady New York12309 USA
| | - David Steinberg
- Department of Biology Duke University Durham North Carolina27708 USA
| | - Manuel Leal
- Division of Biological Sciences University of Missouri Columbia Missouri65211 USA
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Burd M, Stayton CT, Shrestha M, Dyer AG. The colorful language of Australian flowers. Commun Integr Biol 2014; 7:e28940. [PMID: 25346795 PMCID: PMC4203498 DOI: 10.4161/cib.28940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2014] [Accepted: 04/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The enormous increase in phylogenetic information in recent years has allowed many old questions to be reexamined from a macroevolutionary perspective. We have recently considered evolutionary convergence in floral colors within pollination syndromes, using bird-pollinated species in Australia. We combined quantitative measurements of floral reflectance spectra, models of avian color vision, and a phylogenetic tree of 234 Australian species to show that bird-pollinated flowers as a group do not have colors that are significantly different from the colors of insect-pollinated flowers. However, about half the bird-pollinated flowers have convergently evolved a narrow range of colors with dominant long-wavelength reflection far more often than would be expected by chance. These convergent colors would be seen as distinctly different from other floral colors in our sample when viewed by honeyeaters (family Meliphagidae), birds with a phylogenetically ancestral type of color vision and the dominant avian pollinators in Australia. Our analysis shows how qualitative ideas in natural history, like the concept of pollination syndromes, can be given more precise definition and rigorous statistical testing that takes into account phylogenetic information.
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Heystek A, Geerts S, Barnard P, Pauw A. Pink flower preference in sunbirds does not translate into plant fitness differences in a polymorphic Erica species. Evol Ecol 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-014-9693-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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