Convergent evolutionary patterns of heterostyly across angiosperms support the pollination-precision hypothesis

Violeta Simón-Porcar (), Marcial Escudero, Rocío Santos-Gally, Hervé Sauquet, Jürg Schönenberger, Steven D. Johnson and Juan Arroyo ()
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Violeta Simón-Porcar: Universidad de Sevilla
Marcial Escudero: Universidad de Sevilla
Rocío Santos-Gally: Conahcyt-Instituto de Ecología, UNAM
Hervé Sauquet: National Herbarium of New South Wales, Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust
Jürg Schönenberger: University of Vienna
Steven D. Johnson: University of KwaZulu-Natal
Juan Arroyo: Universidad de Sevilla

Nature Communications, 2024, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: Abstract Since the insights by Charles Darwin, heterostyly, a floral polymorphism with morphs bearing stigmas and anthers at reciprocal heights, has become a model system for the study of natural selection. Based on his archetypal heterostylous flower, including regular symmetry, few stamens and a tube, Darwin hypothesised that heterostyly evolved to promote outcrossing through efficient pollen transfer between morphs involving different areas of a pollinator’s body, thus proposing his seminal pollination-precision hypothesis. Here we update the number of heterostylous and other style-length polymorphic taxa to 247 genera belonging to 34 families, notably expanding known cases by 20%. Using phylogenetic and comparative analyses across the angiosperms, we show numerous independent origins of style-length polymorphism associated with actinomorphic, tubular flowers with a low number of sex organs, stamens fused to the corolla, and pollination by long-tongued insects. These associations provide support for the Darwinian pollination-precision hypothesis as a basis for convergent evolution of heterostyly across angiosperms.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45118-0

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