Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Pollination and Flower Structure02:40

Pollination and Flower Structure

65.7K
Flowers are the reproductive, seed-producing structures of angiosperms. Typically, flowers consist of sepals, petals, stamens, and carpels. Sepals and petals are the vegetative flower organs. Stamens and carpels are the reproductive organs.  
65.7K
Genetics of Speciation02:16

Genetics of Speciation

19.4K
Speciation is the evolutionary process resulting in the formation of new, distinct species—groups of reproductively isolated populations.
19.4K
Dihybrid Crosses01:18

Dihybrid Crosses

75.4K
Overview
75.4K
Mate Choice01:20

Mate Choice

9.4K
Mate choice—the decision about whom to mate with—is a type of natural selection, since animals must reproduce to pass down their genes. Mate choice is also called intersexual selection because the behavior occurs between the sexes.
9.4K
Monohybrid Crosses01:20

Monohybrid Crosses

230.7K
Overview
230.7K
Frequency-dependent Selection01:21

Frequency-dependent Selection

22.2K
When the fitness of a trait is influenced by how common it is (i.e., its frequency) relative to different traits within a population, this is referred to as frequency-dependent selection. Frequency-dependent selection may occur between species or within a single species. This type of selection can either be positive—with more common phenotypes having higher fitness—or negative, with rarer phenotypes conferring increased fitness.
22.2K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Honeybees affect floral microbiome composition in a central food source for wild pollinators in boreal ecosystems.

Oecologia·2022
Same author

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi influence host infection during epidemics in a wild plant pathosystem.

The New phytologist·2022
Same author

Soil legacy determines arbuscular mycorrhizal spore bank and plant performance in the low Arctic.

Mycorrhiza·2020
Same author

Cryptogams signify key transitions of bacteria and fungi in Arctic sand dune succession.

The New phytologist·2020
Same author

Change in dominance determines herbivore effects on plant biodiversity.

Nature ecology & evolution·2018

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 15, 2025

Establishing Pollination Requirements in Japanese Plum by Phenological Monitoring, Hand Pollinations, Fluorescence Microscopy and Molecular Genotyping
07:03

Establishing Pollination Requirements in Japanese Plum by Phenological Monitoring, Hand Pollinations, Fluorescence Microscopy and Molecular Genotyping

Published on: November 9, 2020

3.2K

Geranium sylvaticum increases pollination probability by sexually dimorphic flowers.

Jaakko O S Soininen1, Minna-Maarit Kytöviita1

  • 1Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Mathematics and Science University of Jyväskylä Jyväskylä Finland.

Ecology and Evolution
|January 2, 2023
PubMed
Summary

Sexual dimorphism in Geranium sylvaticum flower size enhances pollination for females and fathering for hermaphrodites. This floral adaptation may drive populations toward dioecy.

Keywords:
Geranium sylvaticumdisruptive selectionflower sizegynodioecypollinationsexual dimorphism

More Related Videos

Field Experiments of Pollination Ecology: The Case of Lycoris sanguinea var. sanguinea
07:19

Field Experiments of Pollination Ecology: The Case of Lycoris sanguinea var. sanguinea

Published on: November 25, 2016

11.5K
Methods for Performing Crosses in Setaria viridis, a New Model System for the Grasses
08:35

Methods for Performing Crosses in Setaria viridis, a New Model System for the Grasses

Published on: October 1, 2013

21.8K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Aug 15, 2025

Establishing Pollination Requirements in Japanese Plum by Phenological Monitoring, Hand Pollinations, Fluorescence Microscopy and Molecular Genotyping
07:03

Establishing Pollination Requirements in Japanese Plum by Phenological Monitoring, Hand Pollinations, Fluorescence Microscopy and Molecular Genotyping

Published on: November 9, 2020

3.2K
Field Experiments of Pollination Ecology: The Case of Lycoris sanguinea var. sanguinea
07:19

Field Experiments of Pollination Ecology: The Case of Lycoris sanguinea var. sanguinea

Published on: November 25, 2016

11.5K
Methods for Performing Crosses in Setaria viridis, a New Model System for the Grasses
08:35

Methods for Performing Crosses in Setaria viridis, a New Model System for the Grasses

Published on: October 1, 2013

21.8K

Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Botany

Background:

  • Sexual dimorphism, differing morphologies between sexes, is pronounced in gynodioecious species (females and hermaphrodites).
  • Small female flowers in gynodioecious species are often attributed to resource reallocation, but pollinator attraction is vital for female fitness.
  • Alternative explanations for small female flower size, beyond resource savings, are needed.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To test the hypothesis that floral size dimorphism in *Geranium sylvaticum* is adaptive for pollination.
  • To investigate the role of flower size and visitor behavior in pollination success within gynodioecious populations.

Main Methods:

  • Video recording of small female and large hermaphrodite *G. sylvaticum* flowers.
  • Parameterization of floral visitor behavior and calculation of pollination probabilities.
  • Analysis of pollen and stigma display matching between flower sexes and pollinator interactions.

Main Results:

  • Pollination probability varied significantly by flower sex and pollinator species, with bumblebees showing the highest probability.
  • Small female flowers received pollen more effectively from several pollinator groups compared to large hermaphrodite flowers.
  • Pollen presentation in hermaphrodites aligned better with female stigmas than with hermaphrodite stigmas.

Conclusions:

  • Sexual dimorphism in *G. sylvaticum* flower size appears adaptive, enhancing reproductive functions for both sexes.
  • Increased pollination probability in females and fathering probability in hermaphrodites may promote a shift towards dioecy.
  • Flower size dimorphism plays a crucial role in reproductive success and evolutionary trajectory in gynodioecious species.