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The Influence Of Pollinator Behavior On Patterns Of Pollen Dispersal And Its Implications For Floral Evolution, Alex Lascher
The Influence Of Pollinator Behavior On Patterns Of Pollen Dispersal And Its Implications For Floral Evolution, Alex Lascher
Theses
Despite a storied history of pollination research, little information exists on how the unique characteristics of individual pollinators effect patterns of pollen dispersal. As these patterns of pollen dispersal inform our understanding of floral evolution, filling in this knowledge gap is imperative. I attempted to do so by analyzing two different outcomes of pollen dispersal: 1) pollen carryover, and 2) geitonogamy (i.e., intra-plant movements). For the pollen carryover, I analyzed the results of an experimental study in which bats in flight cages removed pollen from the male flower of a Burmeistera glabrata plant, and then visited 10 female flowers of …
Zygomorphic Flowers May Reduce Extinction Rates By Allowing Angiosperms To Occur In Low Abundances, Maria Belen Alvestegui
Zygomorphic Flowers May Reduce Extinction Rates By Allowing Angiosperms To Occur In Low Abundances, Maria Belen Alvestegui
Theses
The high species richness that angiosperm show has been extensively correlated with key floral innovations. Key floral traits contribute to species boundaries and the origin of new species. However, how these relate to extinction remains largely untested. Among the multiple theories that attribute diversification to floral innovations, the reduced extinction model predicts that floral specialization allows the persistence of small populations and avoids their loss. Bilateral symmetry (zygomorphy) is a trait that has evolved recurrently in angiosperms. It is a form of floral specialization that restricts pollination to fewer visitors and precisely places pollen to ensure more effective transmission of …