Abstract
Divergent patterns of phenotypic selection on floral traits can arise in response to interactions with functionally distinct pollinators. However, there are a limited number of studies that relate patterns of phenotypic selection on floral traits to variation in local pollinator assemblages in pollination-generalized plant species. We studied phenotypic selection on floral traits of Viscaria vulgaris, a plant that interacts with a broad range of diurnal and nocturnal pollinators, and related divergence in phenotypic selection on floral traits to the expected level of divergence in local pollinator assemblages. We detected phenotypic selection on floral traits involved in the attraction of pollinators and the mechanics of pollen removal and deposition, and demonstrated that floral traits are subject to spatiotemporal variation in the strength and direction of phenotypic selection. We revealed that diurnal and nocturnal pollinators, when considered in isolation, mediated divergent patterns of phenotypic selection on floral traits. Consistent with the Grant-Stebbins model, we observed that divergence in phenotypic selection on floral traits increased with the expected level of divergence in local pollinator assemblages. Thus, generalized plant-pollinator interactions can mediate phenotypic selection on floral traits, and distinct local pollinator assemblages can generate a geographic mosaic of divergent patterns of phenotypic selection. We underscore that these outcomes are not exclusive to specialized plant-pollinator interactions and can emerge at a local geographic scale.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1312-1328 |
Number of pages | 17 |
Journal | Journal of evolutionary biology |
Volume | 37 |
Issue number | 11 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2024 Nov 1 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2024 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Evolutionary Biology.
Subject classification (UKÄ)
- Evolutionary Biology
Free keywords
- diurnal and nocturnal pollinators
- fitness function
- Grant-Stebbins model
- pollinator-mediated selection
- selection gradient
- spatiotemporal variation