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Related Experiment Videos

Correlated evolution in fig pollination.

George D Weiblen1

  • 1Department of Plant Biology, University of Minnesota, 1445 Gortner Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55108, USA. gweiblen@umn.edu

Systematic Biology
|February 18, 2004
PubMed
Summary

This study reveals stronger correlated evolution between interacting fig and pollinator traits than within lineages. Molecular phylogenies demonstrate reciprocal evolutionary changes in these obligate mutualists.

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Ecology
  • Molecular Phylogenetics

Background:

  • Figs (Ficus species) and their pollinators (Agaoninae wasps) exhibit obligate mutualism.
  • Previous studies have explored adaptation but less so coadaptation (reciprocal evolutionary change) in interacting lineages.
  • Molecular phylogenies offer powerful tools for comparative evolutionary studies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To conduct the first comparative study of correlated evolution between figs and their pollinators using molecular phylogenies.
  • To test for reciprocal evolutionary changes in interacting species lineages.
  • To compare trait correlations between interacting lineages versus within-lineage allometric relationships.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized molecular phylogenies based on nuclear ribosomal DNA's internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region for figs.
  • Inferred pollinator phylogeny using mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) sequences.
  • Applied comparative methods, including independent contrasts and phylogenetic autocorrelation, to assess correlated evolution.

Main Results:

  • Demonstrated stronger trait correlations between interacting fig and pollinator lineages than within-lineage correlations.
  • Found fig style lengths and pollinator ovipositor lengths to be highly correlated.
  • Rejected the null hypothesis that within-lineage trait correlations are stronger than between-lineage correlations.

Conclusions:

  • Phylogenetic comparative methods can detect significant patterns of correlated evolution in mutualistic interactions.
  • Obligate mutualism between figs and their pollinators shows strong evidence of reciprocal evolutionary adaptations.
  • Interacting trait correlations are a key indicator of coevolution in these species.

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