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Flower size evolution in the Southwest Pacific.

Riccardo Ciarle¹, Kevin C Burns¹, Fabio Mologni²

¹Te Kura Mātauranga Koiora | School of Biological Sciences, Te Herenga Waka | Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6140, Aotearoa New Zealand.

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|January 18, 2025

Summary

Island flowers show diverse evolutionary paths. Animal-pollinated flowers follow the island rule, while wind-pollinated flowers exhibit gigantism, revealing distinct island evolution patterns.

Keywords:

Island rule Island syndrome Southwest Pacific flower size island biogeography plant evolution

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Area of Science:

Evolutionary biology
Island biogeography
Plant sciences

Background:

Island evolution trajectories are poorly understood.
The island rule (size changes post-colonization) is untested for flower size.
In-situ flower size evolution on islands needs further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

First test of the island rule in flower size for animal- and wind-pollinated species.
Investigate generalized in-situ evolution of flower size on islands.
Examine floral display size changes (gigantism/dwarfism) in island populations.

Main Methods:

Analyzed 129 independent colonization events across 10 Southwest Pacific archipelagos.
Paired island endemics with their closest mainland relatives.
Tested for the island rule and floral display size changes in relation to pollination syndrome.

Main Results:

Animal-pollinated flowers adhered to the island rule for size evolution.
Wind-pollinated flowers did not follow the island rule, showing gigantism instead.
Patterns held after controlling for factors like breeding system and taxonomic family.

Conclusions:

In-situ flower size evolution is common on Southwest Pacific islands.
Animal- and wind-pollinated flowers display divergent evolutionary trajectories.
Mechanisms driving these distinct patterns require further research.