Abstract
ABSTRACT Events of both hybridization and polyploidy are capable of completely restructuring the genome, modifying phenotypic traits and affecting ecological interactions. For plants, these changes may affect floral traits that are important for interactions with pollinators, which could lead to shifts in pollinator behavior and taxa between hybrids/polyploids and parental/diploid species. Such pollinator shifts have great ecological and evolutionary relevance since they play a key role in the diversification of angiosperms. There is a growing number of studies that explicitly address the relationship between plant hybridization/polyploidy and pollinator shifts. However, questions remain about how often hybridization and polyploidy lead to pollinator shifts and what are the mechanisms that mediate this process. We reviewed studies that compared the reproductive biology of hybrids/polyploid with that of parental/diploid species. These studies are based on modifications of floral traits involved in attracting and rewarding pollinators. We also discussed how such changes in flower traits are widespread among plant taxa and affect pollinator visitation rates, pollinator fidelity, pollen movement, and could lead to pollinator shifts. All of these consequences are underexplored, especially from the perspective of pollinators, which foster future research that integrates genetics, ecology, and evolution of plant-pollinator interactions.
Highlights
The composition and diversity of floral traits are considered one of the main factors mediating plantpollinator interactions (Shuttleworth & Johnson 2010; Rosas-Guerrero et al 2014; Bergamo et al 2017; Ramos & Schiestl 2019)
These changes may affect floral traits that are important for interactions with pollinators, which could lead to shifts in pollinator behavior and taxa between hybrids/polyploids and parental/diploid species
Among hybrids without pollinator shift, we found a case in the bromeliad genus Pitcairnia sp., which the hybrid is pollinated by hummingbirds as its parental species (Wendt et al 2001), besides the case of Primula marginata, which could, possibly, partially share the pollinator assemblage with its parental (Casazza et al 2017)
Summary
The composition and diversity of floral traits are considered one of the main factors mediating plantpollinator interactions (Shuttleworth & Johnson 2010; Rosas-Guerrero et al 2014; Bergamo et al 2017; Ramos & Schiestl 2019). Such traits include flower size, shape, color, and scent, as well as rewards offered to pollinators, such as nectar, pollen, essential oils and resins To better understand the evolutionary changes in floral traits and how variation in the plant genome may affect plant-pollinator interactions, an integrated approach connecting genetic factors and pollinator responses is necessary
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