The Convergent Evolution of Hummingbird Pollination Results in Repeated Floral Scent Loss Through Gene Downregulation.

ABSTRACT: The repeated evolution of the same trait in different lineages provides powerful natural experiments to study the phenotypic and genotypic predictability of trait gain and loss. A fascinating example is the repeated evolution of hummingbird pollination in plant lineages in the Americas, a widespread and often unidirectional phenomenon. The spiral gingers in the genus Costus are ancestrally bee pollinated, and hummingbird pollination has evolved multiple times independently in the tropical Americas. These pollinator transitions are accompanied by predictable morphological and color changes, but the changes in floral scent have not been described. In this study, we describe the floral scent composition of 30 species of Costus sampled across the phylogeny to understand how floral scent has ev

SUBMITTER: Darragh K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11848715 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature