Influence of plant domestication on plant-pollinator interactions: Floral attributes and floral visitor communities in wild and cultivated squash plants |
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Authors: | Sonja K. Glasser Martín Hesajim de Santiago-Hernández Oliverio Delgado-Carrillo Luis Alberto Villanueva Espino Adonaji Cortés Pérez Antonio González-Rodríguez Rafael Lira-Saade Mauricio Quesada |
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Affiliation: | 1. Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Avenida Universidad No. 3000, Coyoacán, México City, 04510 México;2. Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Unidad Morelia (ENES), UNAM Campus Morelia, Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro 8701, San José de la Huerta, Morelia, Michoacán, 58190 México;3. UBIPRO, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. de los Barrios #1, Los Reyes Iztacala, Tlalnepantla, Edo. de Mex, 54090 México |
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Abstract: | Premise Domestication of plant species results in phenotypic modifications and changes in biotic interactions. Most studies have compared antagonistic plant-herbivore interactions of domesticated plants and their wild relatives, but little attention has been given to how domestication influences plant-pollinator interactions. Floral attributes and interactions of floral visitors were compared between sister taxa of the genus Cucurbita (Cucurbitaceae), the domesticated C. moschata, C. argyrosperma ssp. argyrosperma and its wild progenitor C. argyrosperma ssp. sororia in the place of origin. Methods We conducted univariate and multivariate analyses to compare floral morphological traits and analyzed floral reward (nectar and pollen) quantity and quality between flowers of wild and domesticated Cucurbita taxa. Staminate and pistillate flowers of all three taxa were video recorded, and visitation and behavior of floral visitors were registered and analyzed. Results Most floral morphological characteristics of flowers of domesticated taxa were larger in both staminate and pistillate flowers. Staminate and pistillate flowers presented distinct correlations between floral traits and integration indices between domesticated and wild species. Additionally, pollen quantity and protein to lipid ratio were greater in domesticated species. Cucurbit pollen specialists, Eucera spp., had the highest probability of visit for all Cucurbita taxa. Conclusions We provide evidence that floral traits of domesticated and wild Cucurbita species experienced different selection pressures. Domesticated Cucurbita species may have more resources invested towards floral traits, thereby increasing attractiveness to pollinators and potentially plant reproductive success. Wild ancestor plant populations should be conserved in their centers of origin to preserve plant-pollinator interactions. |
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Keywords: | Cucurbita Cucurbitaceae Eucera floral integration floral rewards floral traits native bees plant domestication plant-pollinator interactions pollen macronutrients |
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