Abstract

Are bird-pollinated flowers red because bees - which might rob the flower of its nectar - cannot easily detect them, or might it be because of more subtle evolutionary trade-offs?

Highlights

  • Most bird-pollinated flowers are both red and rich in nectar

  • Plants face a trade-off between attracting pollinators and remaining hidden from flower parasites

  • There is often strong selection pressure for highly specific communication channels that can advertise the presence of their flowers to effective pollinators but not to other individuals

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Summary

Why Are So Many Bird Flowers Red?

Most bird-pollinated flowers are both red and rich in nectar. The traditional explanation for this association is that, since red is inconspicuous to bees, it evolved to prevent bees from depleting the nectar of bird-pollinated flowers without effecting pollination. To help answer this question, we need to consider how the outcomes of foraging decisions are affected by the community in which individuals live, and by the foraging options of other individuals Why are most bird-pollinated flowers red? To help answer this question, we need to consider how the outcomes of foraging decisions are affected by the community in which individuals live, and by the foraging options of other individuals

The Mystery
Colour Vision and Niche Partition
We know that the standing crop is the
Toward a Solution
Full Text
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