Experimental sympatry reveals geographic variation in floral isolation by hawkmoths.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

Under a widely accepted model of pollinator-driven speciation, geographic variation in pollinator assemblage drives floral divergence and automatically causes reproductive isolation. Yet it is unclear whether divergent floral adaptation initially confers strong reproductive isolation, or whether that comes at later stages of speciation and requires other forms of reproductive isolation. This study uses a pair of recently diverged, interfertile and parapatric species in the genus Clarkia to determine whether adaptation to hawkmoths, a novel pollinator functional group, would automatically confer floral isolation upon sympatric contact.

Methods

First, genetically based differences in floral traits between C. breweri and C. concinna that would be maintained

SUBMITTER: Kay KM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6344223 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature