Just like Beyoncé and JAY-Z, evolution also has its own power couples. This time it passionflower plant (Passiflora) and the sword-billed hummingbird (Ensifera ensifera). They are a classic example of coevolution, or where two or more species influence the evolution of the other. In this case, the 10cm nectar-tubes long nectar tubes of the passionflower and the extremely 11cm long bill of the sword-billed hummingbird are thought to have co-evolved under mutualism. For the hummingbird, the passionflower and its long-tube are beneficial, as it means only the sword-billed hummingbirds have access to its nectar. While for the passionflower, having an exclusive pollination mechanism means that it’s seeds are dispersed to mainly passionflower plants.
In this episode, we talk to Daniel Souto about his MEME project looking at how these mutualisms evolved and under which conditions. Daniel analysed the DNA of 43 long and short-tubed passionflower species to pinpoint when they evolved. It was found that the long-tubed passionflower species evolved at roughly the same time as the sword-billed hummingbirds – suggesting that co-evolution did occur. But by looking at all the passionflower species, it was found that the specialisation of having a long-tube was not permanent. Indeed, there were thought to be times throughout evolution were the sword-billed hummingbirds dropped in number, influencing some passionflower species to rapidly evolve shorter tubes that could be pollinated by bats and shorter billed birds. Read more about the findings in Daniel's project in the paper! See more examples of coevolution here! Check out the great biodiversity and competition of hummingbird's in this Planet Earth II clip .
Daniel's MEME project was supervised by Professor Susanne Renner, a professor at Ludwig Maximilian University
You can follow Daniel on twitter Daniel is now studying a PhD at the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice. Czech republic. Subscribe and listen to MEME Stream on soundcloud! Follow us on twitter! This episode is brought to you by:
Cloud forests in the Andes by Green88 (left), Daniel in the field (middle), sword-billed hummingbird feeding on a long-tubed passionflower by Andy Morffew (right).
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About the MEME StreamA podcast following MEME students past and present on their adaptive walks of life as they embark on a career in evolutionary biology. The MEME is a unique masters program that enables upcoming evolutionary biologists from all over the globe to study and research in Europe. These podcasts will travel all over Europe and the world, leaping, as Richard Dawkins says, from brain to brain, MEME to MEME, telling tales of our scientific ventures and research projects. ArchivesCategories |