Pioneering Pollinator Study Offers Clues to Darwin's 'Abominable Mystery'
Published:31 Mar.2021 Source:John Innes Centre
Research into the flower preferences of pollinating moths may have delivered a vital clue to the simple factors needed for the emergence of new species. Strong coevolutionary relationships between plants and animal pollinators have long been recognised as a potential driver of high rates of speciation in the 275,000 extant flowering plants.
Shifts between pollinators, such as bumblebees, hummingbirds, hawkmoths and bats, often coincide with plant speciation events. Each of these pollinator "guilds" is attracted by a different set of floral traits such as colour, patterns, scent, shape, and nectar reward, collectively known as a pollination syndrome.