Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Pollination and Flower Structure

Pollination and Flower Structure

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.

Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss

Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss

Though evaporation from plant leaves drives transpiration, it also results in loss of water. Because water is critical for photosynthetic reactions and other cellular processes, evolutionary pressures on plants in different environments have driven the acquisition of adaptations that reduce water loss.

Introduction to Plant Diversity

Introduction to Plant Diversity

From Water to Land

Formation of Species

Formation of Species

Speciation describes the formation of one or more new species from one or sometimes multiple original species. The resulting species are discrete from the parent species, and barriers to reproduction will typically exist. There are two primary mechanisms, speciation with and without geographic isolation—allopatric and sympatric speciation, respectively.

Frequency-dependent Selection

Frequency-dependent Selection

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.

Genetics of Speciation

Genetics of Speciation

Speciation is the evolutionary process resulting in the formation of new, distinct species—groups of reproductively isolated populations.

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Gene duplication dynamics and regulatory evolution shape the diversification of Asteraceae.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025

Same author

Historic breeding practices contribute to germplasm divergence in leaf specialized metabolism and ecophysiology in cultivated sunflower (Helianthus annuus).

American journal of botany·2024

Same author

The genomic basis of nitrogen utilization efficiency and trait plasticity to improve nutrient stress tolerance in cultivated sunflower.

Journal of experimental botany·2024

Same author

Analytical advances alleviate model misspecification in non-Brownian multivariate comparative methods.

Evolution; international journal of organic evolution·2023

Same author

Pseudanthia in angiosperms: a review.

Annals of botany·2023

Same author

Similar Transcriptomic Responses to Early and Late Drought Stresses Produce Divergent Phenotypes in Sunflower (<i>Helianthus annuus</i> L.).

International journal of molecular sciences·2023

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 8, 2026

Author Spotlight: A High-Resolution, Single-Grain, In Vivo Pollen Hydration Bioassay for Arabidopsis thaliana

Author Spotlight: A High-Resolution, Single-Grain, In Vivo Pollen Hydration Bioassay for Arabidopsis thaliana

Published on: June 30, 2023

Climate adaptation and functional constraints drive pollen evolution in Apiales.

Jakub Baczyński^1,2,3, Krzysztof Spalik¹, John M Burke^2,3

¹Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, 02-096, Poland.

The New Phytologist

|December 16, 2025

Summary

Climate influences pollen architecture but not size in Apiales (flowering plants). Pollen wall thickness evolution precedes aperture changes, showing biomechanical constraints shape plant reproduction. This highlights climate-pollen interactions.

Keywords:

Apiales climate niche evolution harmomegathy morphology pollen

More Related Videos

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

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

Published on: November 25, 2016

Collection and Identification of Pollen from Honey Bee Colonies

Collection and Identification of Pollen from Honey Bee Colonies

Published on: January 19, 2021

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 8, 2026

Author Spotlight: A High-Resolution, Single-Grain, In Vivo Pollen Hydration Bioassay for Arabidopsis thaliana

Author Spotlight: A High-Resolution, Single-Grain, In Vivo Pollen Hydration Bioassay for Arabidopsis thaliana

Published on: June 30, 2023

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

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

Published on: November 25, 2016

Collection and Identification of Pollen from Honey Bee Colonies

Collection and Identification of Pollen from Honey Bee Colonies

Published on: January 19, 2021

Area of Science:

Evolutionary biology
Paleobotany
Plant reproductive biology

Background:

Pollen morphology displays significant diversity, influenced by environmental factors and mechanical constraints.
Apiales, an angiosperm order, exhibits substantial ecological and geographical variation, making it ideal for studying macroevolutionary patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate macroevolutionary patterns of pollen morphology in Apiales.
To disentangle the roles of climate and functional constraints in shaping pollen traits.
To test for harmomegathy-related adaptations in pollen evolution.

Main Methods:

Analysis of pollen morphology in 158 Apiales species.
Application of morphometric and multivariate evolutionary approaches.
Evaluation of climate and biomechanical constraints on pollen traits like wall thickness, aperture structure, and grain shape.

Main Results:

Climate did not significantly affect pollen size, contrary to prior assumptions.
Climate strongly influences pollen architecture, with drier, seasonal climates correlating with reduced apertures and thicker pollen walls.
Evolutionary lag observed: pollen wall thickness changes preceded aperture modifications, suggesting biomechanical constraints guide evolutionary trajectories.

Conclusions:

Climate-driven adaptations in pollen architecture are mediated by functional constraints.
A dynamic interaction exists between environmental selection and the biomechanical properties of the pollen wall.
Biomechanical constraints play a crucial role in shaping the macroevolution of pollen morphology.