Pollinator-driven ecological speciation in plants: new evidence and future perspectives

Area of Science:

• Evolutionary Biology
• Plant Science
• Ecology

Background:

• Pollinators are hypothesized as key drivers of angiosperm diversity, with evidence from microevolutionary and macroevolutionary studies.
• The link between pollinator-driven microevolutionary adaptation and macroevolutionary speciation remains a critical research gap.
• Ecological speciation theory provides a framework to link adaptation and speciation in plant-pollinator interactions.

Discussion:

• This viewpoint examines evidence for ecological speciation components in plant-pollinator systems.
• It covers pollinators as selective agents, floral trait divergence (including pollination ecotypes), geographical context, and reproductive isolation.
• The paper introduces a Special Issue featuring diverse studies on pollinator-driven speciation.

Key Insights:

• Pollinator-mediated selection drives floral trait divergence and the evolution of pollination ecotypes.
• Pollinators play a significant role in generating reproductive isolation, a key factor in speciation.
• Evidence spans microevolutionary adaptations to macroevolutionary patterns across various plant families and regions.

Outlook:

• Future research should quantify selection through male fitness and pollinator isolation using advanced tools like next-generation sequencing.
• Integrating new technologies with strategic study systems and experimental design will illuminate pollinator-driven speciation.
• Pollinator-driven speciation is predicted to be a widespread and compelling example of ecological speciation.