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Stephens RE, Gallagher RV, Dun L, Cornwell W, Sauquet H. Insect pollination for most of angiosperm evolutionary history. New Phytol 2023; 240:880-891. [PMID: 37276503 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Most contemporary angiosperms (flowering plants) are insect pollinated, but pollination by wind, water or vertebrates occurs in many lineages. Though evidence suggests insect pollination may be ancestral in angiosperms, this is yet to be assessed across the full phylogeny. Here, we reconstruct the ancestral pollination mode of angiosperms and quantify the timing and environmental associations of pollination shifts. We use a robust, dated phylogeny and species-level sampling across all angiosperm families to model the evolution of pollination modes. Data on the pollination system or syndrome of 1160 species were collated from the primary literature. Angiosperms were ancestrally insect pollinated, and insects have pollinated angiosperms for c. 86% of angiosperm evolutionary history. Wind pollination evolved at least 42 times, with few reversals to animal pollination. Transitions between insect and vertebrate pollination were more frequent: vertebrate pollination evolved at least 39 times from an insect-pollinated ancestor with at least 26 reversals. The probability of wind pollination increases with habitat openness (measured by Leaf Area Index) and distance from the equator. Our reconstruction gives a clear overview of pollination macroevolution across angiosperms, highlighting the long history of interactions between insect pollinators and angiosperms still vital to biodiversity today.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruby E Stephens
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
- National Herbarium of New South Wales (NSW), Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia
| | - Rachael V Gallagher
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, 2753, Australia
| | - Lily Dun
- National Herbarium of New South Wales (NSW), Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Will Cornwell
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Hervé Sauquet
- National Herbarium of New South Wales (NSW), Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
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