Inaccurate Color Discrimination by Pollinators Promotes Evolution of Discrete Color Polymorphism in Food-Deceptive Flowers

Authored by Kotaro Kagawa, Gaku Takimoto

Date Published: 2016

DOI: 10.1086/684433

Sponsors: Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)

Platforms: Java R

Model Documentation: Other Narrative Mathematical description

Model Code URLs: https://datadryad.org/resource/doi:10.5061/dryad.q4c60

Abstract

Many plant species employing a food-deceptive pollination strategy show discrete or continuous floral polymorphism within their populations. Previous studies have suggested that negative frequency-dependent selection (NFDS) caused by the learning behavior of pollinators was responsible for the maintenance of floral polymorphism. However, NFDS alone does not explain why and when discrete or continuous polymorphism evolves. In this study, we use an evolutionary simulation model to propose that inaccurate discrimination of flower colors by pollinators results in evolution of discrete flower color polymorphism. Simulations showed that associative learning based on inaccurate discrimination in pollinators caused disruptive selection of flower colors. The degree of inaccuracy determined the number of discrete flower colors that evolved. Our results suggest that animal behavior based on inaccurate discriminationmay be a general cause of disruptive selection that promotes discrete trait polymorphism.

Tags

behavior frequency-dependent selection Hymenoptera Variability Reproductive success Sambucina l. soo Bombus-terrestris Floral scent Bumble-bees Orchid