Abstract
Elucidating how variation in selection shapes the evolution of flowers is key to understanding adaptive differentiation processes. We estimated pollinator-mediated selection through female function in L-morph (long-style and short-anther phenotype) and S-morph (short-style and long-anther phenotype) flowers among four Primula secundiflora populations with different pollinator assemblages. Variation in pollinator assemblage strongly contributed to differences in reproductive success among populations and between morphs of the primrose species. A wider corolla tube width was selected in the bumblebee-dominated populations, whereas shorter corolla tube length and wider corolla tube width were selected in the syrphid fly-dominated populations. Morph-specific variation in pollinator-mediated selection on corolla tube length was detected in the syrphid fly-dominated populations. A shorter corolla tube was selected in the L-morph flowers. However, similar selective pressure on this trait was not observed in the S-morph flowers. These results show that variation in pollinator assemblage leads to variation in selection in space and between morphs. The findings highlight the potential forces of different pollinator agents in driving floral evolution in this primrose species.
Highlights
In angiosperms, diverse floral architectures are shaped by pollinators, and different pollinator–plant interactions may lead to variable pollinator-mediated selection on floral traits in space and time (Harder and Johnson 2009; Parachnowitsch and Kessler 2010; Sletvold and Ågren 2010; Siepielski et al 2013; Van der Niet et al.2014; Vlašánková et al 2017)
The variation in pollinator assemblage led to the difference in reproductive success among the populations and to differences in reproductive success between the L- and S-morph flowers. This variation in pollinator assemblage contributed to the variation in pollinator-mediated selection on floral traits and might lead to divergence of floral traits in the studied natural primrose populations
In the present study, pollinatormediated selection on corolla tube length and corolla tube width varied among the populations with different pollinator assemblages and between morphs
Summary
Diverse floral architectures are shaped by pollinators, and different pollinator–plant interactions may lead to variable pollinator-mediated selection on floral traits in space and time (Harder and Johnson 2009; Parachnowitsch and Kessler 2010; Sletvold and Ågren 2010; Siepielski et al 2013; Van der Niet et al.2014; Vlašánková et al 2017). Wu et al – Pollinator-mediated selection varies in space and between morphs pollinator and flower that lead to differential pollinatormediated selective pressures on floral traits. Spatial variation in pollinator communities can impose differential selective pressures on floral traits (Toräng et al 2008; Vanhoenacker et al 2010; Ågren et al 2013; Vanhoenacker et al 2013). Spatial variation in pollinator composition contributes to variation in pollen limitation in Primula farinosa populations, which results in differential selective pressures on scape length in space (Vanhoenacker et al 2006). Directly quantifying the spatial variation in pollinator-mediated selection on floral traits is helpful to predict the divergence of floral traits among natural populations and its effects
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