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Pollinivory and the diversification dynamics of bees
Elizabeth A Murray1, Silas Bossert2, Bryan N Danforth2
1Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA em573@cornell.edu.
Biology Letters
|November 16, 2018
Summary
The evolution of pollen-feeding (pollinivory) in bees was crucial but not the sole driver of their diversification. Complementary innovations, like a broader diet, were also essential for the radiation of major bee lineages.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Biology
- Entomology
- Ecology
Background:
- Pollinivory, the consumption of pollen, defines bees (Anthophila) and is crucial for their larval development.
- Bees evolved from carnivorous wasps during the Cretaceous period, coinciding with the rise of flowering plants.
- The shift to pollen-feeding is widely assumed to be the primary driver of bee diversification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To empirically test the hypothesis that pollinivory was the key innovation driving bee diversification.
- To investigate the factors contributing to the extensive diversification of major bee lineages.
Main Methods:
- Comparative phylogenetic analysis.
- Analysis of dietary breadth and diversification rates across bee lineages.
Main Results:
- Pollinivory alone does not fully explain the extensive diversification of bees.
- The switch to pollen-feeding was a necessary but insufficient condition for diversification.
- Broadening of host-plant diet and other innovations were critical for the radiation of major bee groups.
Conclusions:
- Bee diversification is a complex process, not solely attributable to the adoption of pollinivory.
- Understanding bee diversification requires considering multiple evolutionary innovations in conjunction with floral resource availability.
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