The origin of bird pollination in Macaronesian Lotus (Loteae, Leguminosae)

Ojeda, Isidro; Santos‐Guerra, Arnoldo; Jaén‐Molina, Ruth; Oliva-Tejera, Felicia; Caujapé‐Castells, Juli; Cronk, Quentin

doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2011.10.001

Cited by 23 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 57 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Thus, the main mechanical interaction occurs when the bird collects nectar from the flower. Loss of papillate cells on these species could be either an adaptation to deter less effective pollinators (as an anti-bee strategy) or as a birdselected trait that increases attraction or pollination (pro-bird strategy) [3]. A similar trend in changes of petal surface has also been observed on those hummingbird-pollinated species in Antirrhineae [8] and Polemoniaceae [20].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 67%

“…Thus, petal micromorphology is probably one of the less studied floral traits during pollinator shifts. Loss of papillate cells have been reported in several species in association with a shift to different pollinator types in Solanales [4], Antirrhineae [4,8] and Lotus species [3]. These previous studies were examined within a relatively narrow taxonomic context, and thus it is still unclear whether a similar association exists across independent plant lineages in a biogeographic region, where a set of plant species are under the selective pressure of a similar pollinator group (opportunistic passerine birds).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Pollinator shifts drive petal epidermal evolution on the Macaronesian Islands bird-flowered species

et al. 2016

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Pollinator shifts are considered to drive floral trait evolution, yet little is still known about the modifications of petal epidermal surface at a biogeographic region scale. Here we investigated how independent shifts from insects to passerine birds in the Macaronesian Islands consistently modified this floral trait (i.e. absence of papillate cells). Using current phylogenies and extensive evidence from field observations, we selected a total of 81 plant species and subspecies for petal microscopy and comparative analysis, including 19 of the 23 insular species pollinated by opportunistic passerine birds (Macaronesian bird-flowered element). Species relying on passerine birds as the most effective pollinators (bird-pollinated) independently evolved at least five times and in all instances associated with a loss of papillate cells, whereas species with a mixed pollination system (birds plus insects and/or other vertebrates) evolved at least five times in Macaronesia and papillate cells were lost in only 25% of these transitions. Our findings suggest that petal micromorphology is a labile trait during pollinator shifts and that papillate cells tend to be absent on those species where pollinators have limited mechanical interaction with flowers, including opportunistic passerine birds that forage by hovering or from the ground.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 67%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pollinator shifts drive petal epidermal evolution on the Macaronesian Islands bird-flowered species

et al. 2016

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Birds that visit flowers with a 'mixed vertebrate-insect system' are attracted by easily accessible, non-restrictive flowers, with a type of nectar that fulfil their physiological requirements, and these flowers are also visited by other pollinator groups (lizards, bats, insects). This latter kind of 'syndrome' seems more common than previously thought in islands (Ojeda et al 2012;Ortega-Olivencia et al 2012). Fluctuations in the pollinator assemblages in oceanic islands results in a fluctuating selection favouring a generalized flower biology.…”

Section: Plasticity and Conservatism In The Islandsmentioning

confidence: 82%

“…Musschia, Heterochaenia, Nesocodon, Lotus, Angraecum, Roussea, etc. ; Table 14.2; Ojeda et al 2012;Olesen et al 2012). Evolution towards bird pollination from insect-pollinated ancestors seems to be the norm in oceanic islands, possibly because opportunistic birds (when they are present) are usually more efficient pollinators than insects ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

The Evolution and Pollination of Oceanic Bellflowers (Campanulaceae)

Alarcón

Aldasoro

Roquet

et al. 2014

Evolutionary Biology: Genome Evolution, Speciation, Coevolution and Origin of Life

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Oceanic islands provide a good model for the study of species dispersal and evolution. We focus here on the evolution of pollination modes of oceanic island bellflowers (Campanulaceae), examining the degree of parallel evolution in different lineages of this family. Plants colonizing islands might either have experienced selective pressures on floral traits from vertebrate pollinators such as birds and lizards or have been pre-adapted to pollination by vertebrates prior to their colonization. The reconstruction of the ancestral pollination biology of Campanulaceae suggests that pollinators of the ancestors of bird-/lizard-pollinated bellflowers were insects. Moreover, in four island Campanulaceae lineages, only one was pre-adapted on the continent, and three made de novo shifts on the islands. Evolution towards bird pollination from insect-pollinated ancestors is also common in other island-groups, possibly because opportunistic birds are more efficient than insects. We review to what extent related species converge in their pollination ecology in related habitats on oceanic islands.

show abstract