Direct evidence supporting Darwin's hypothesis of cross-pollination promoted by sex organ reciprocity.

ABSTRACT: The floral phenotype plays a main role in the attraction and fit of pollinators. Both perianth traits and the positioning of sex organs can be subjected to natural selection and determine nonrandom mating patterns in populations. In stylar-polymorphic species, the Darwinian hypothesis predicts increased mating success between individuals with sex organs at equivalent heights (i.e. with higher reciprocity). We used paternity analyses in experimental populations of a stylar-dimorphic species. By comparing the observed mating patterns with those expected under random mating, we tested the effects of sex organ reciprocity and perianth traits on mating success. We also analysed phenotypic selection on perianth traits through female and male functions. The (dis)similarity of parental perianth tr

SUBMITTER: Simon-Porcar VI 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9546006 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature