3D pollination biology using micro-computed tomography and geometric morphometrics in Theobroma cacao.

ABSTRACT:

Premise

Imaging technologies that capture three-dimensional (3D) variation in floral morphology at micro- and nano-resolutions are increasingly accessible. In herkogamous flowers, such as those of Theobroma cacao, structural barriers between anthers and stigmas represent bottlenecks that restrict pollinator size and access to reproductive organs. To study the unresolved pollination biology of cacao, we present a novel application of micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) using floral dimensions to quantify pollinator functional size limits.

Methods

We generated micro-CT data sets from field-collected flowers and museum specimens of potential pollinators. To compare floral variation, we used 3D Slicer to place landmarks on the surface models and performed a geometric mor

SUBMITTER: Wolcott KA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10617321 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Sep-Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature