To understand evolutionary paths connecting diverse biological forms, we defined a three-dimensional genotypic space separating two flower color morphs of Antirrhinum. A hybrid zone between showed steep cline specifically at genes controlling differences, indicating that these loci are under selection. Antirrhinum species with floral phenotypes formed U-shaped cloud within the space. We propose this defines an path allows to evolve while circumventing less-adaptive regions. Hybridization...

Abstract Given the ongoing decline of both pollinators and plants, it is crucial to implement effective methods describe complex pollination networks across time space in a comprehensive high-throughput way. Here we tested if metabarcoding may circumvent limits conventional methodologies detecting quantifying plant-pollinator interactions. Metabarcoding experiments on pollen DNA mixtures described positive relationship between amounts from focal species number trnL ITS1 sequences yielded....

Animal pollination, essential for both ecological services and ecosystem functioning, is threatened by ongoing global changes. New methodologies to decipher their effects on pollinator composition health are urgently required. We compare the main structural parameters of pollination networks based DNA metabarcoding data with direct observations insect visits plants at three resolution levels. By detecting numerous additional hidden interactions, largely alters properties compared visit...

Abstract Although the use of metabarcoding to identify taxa in DNA mixtures is widely approved, its reliability quantifying taxon abundance still subject debate. In this study we investigated relationships between amount pollen grains mock solutions and high-throughput sequence reads how relationship was affected by counting methodology, number PCR cycles, type markers plant species whose have different characteristics. We found a significant positive sequences solutions. However, better...

Significance Populations often show “islands of divergence” in the genome. Analysis divergence between subspecies Antirrhinum that differ flower color patterns shows sharp peaks relative occur at two causal loci. The island is shaped by a combination gene flow and multiple selective sweeps, showing how barriers populations can arise be maintained.

Species can be considered to occupy different peaks in a fitness landscape, visualised as an undulating surface, with height corresponding and horizontal coordinates genotype. A key evolutionary problem is understand how populations traverse valleys reach peaks. Hypothetical solutions include shifting balance theory, peak movements due environmental changes, or connectivity high-dimensional spaces. However, testing hypotheses not straightforward because identifying loci epistatic...

Black spruce ( Picea mariana [B.S.P.] Mill.) and red rubens Sarg.) are two conifer species known to hybridize naturally in northeastern North America. We hypothesized that there is a progenitor-derivative relationship between these taxa conducted genetic investigation by using sequence-tagged-site markers of expressed genes. Based on the 26 loci assayed this study, unbiased identity was quite high with value 0.920. The mean number polymorphic loci, alleles per locus, average observed...

Abstract The impact of elevated [CO 2 ] on seed germination was studied in different genotypes Arabidopsis thaliana from natural populations. Two generations seeds were studied: the maternal generation produced greenhouse (present‐day conditions), offspring two chambers where CO concentration either present atmospheric (about 350 ppm) or (700 ppm). tested for proportion germinated and mean time both to study during production germination. Elevated maturation mother‐plants decreased seeds,...

The consequences of elevated CO2 on plant growth have been well studied individual plants. response a more complex system with several plants interacting is less understood—a situation that limits our capacity to predict the natural communities. In this study we analyzed effect enrichment intergenotypic competition in Arabidopsis thaliana. Seeds five genotypes collected from different populations were used. Each genotype was cultivated pure stand and mixture each other four two conditions...

Abstract How native mass‐flowering plants affect the specialization of insects at individual and species levels consequences for pollination networks have received much less attention than crops or alien basically remain unexplored. Using existing DNA metabarcoding data on pollen loads 402 flower‐visiting insects, we assessed effects a plant high reward quality, shrub Rhododendron ferrugineum , by investigating: (a) food niches pollinators pollinator (b) structure in subalpine heathland...

Abstract: The proposition that the migration of organisms between habitat patches could be enhanced by corridors has been much discussed among conservation biologists. But few experimental studies supporting usefulness have all concerned animal species. We investigated role in seed dispersal, studying population genetic and demographic structure metapopulations rare, pond‐dwelling, autogamous plant species Ranunculus nodiflorus L. Fontainebleau Forest ( France ). Differentiation on three...

1. Pollinators, such as bees, face the complex challenge of efficiently exploiting patchily distributed floral resources across large landscapes. 2. In present study we consider utility spatial network statistics to analyse foraging patterns bees moving between feeding sites at various and temporal scales. 3. We explain how movement networks can be derived theoretically experimentally describe bee decisions. 4. illustrate this approach by analysing six datasets bumblebees honeybees in arrays...

The maintenance of genetic integrity parental populations is often explained by selection against hybrids. However, the agents are usually unknown. role environmental biotic interactions suspected but has rarely been demonstrated. In plants for instance, mutualism with pollinators may be involved. After verification that pollen deposition a limiting factor fruit set, we used an individual-based study and representation pollinator colour perception to test effects local plant density floral...

Abstract Assessing processes of geographic expansion in contact zones is a crucial step towards an accurate prediction the evolution species genetic diversity. The distribution cytonuclear discordance often reflects introgression patterns across range. Antirrhinum majus pseudomajus and A. m. striatum are two interfertile subspecies that occupy nonoverlapping areas but enter many locations at margin their distribution. We found between both was asymmetric local scale geographically oriented...

Individuals of Arabidopsis thaliana , collected in different natural populations, were grown controlled and elevated CO 2 a glasshouse. Following germination, root growth progeny lines these populations was studied control atmospheric . No significant direct effect concentration could be demonstrated on growth. An important parental apparent, namely that length branching decreased seeds from mother plant which had been This correlated with smaller seeds, containing less nitrogen. These...

Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) is considered to be a good measure of developmental stability. We measured the leaves and flowers 16 different genotypes Lotus corniculatus grown in four experimental environments estimate plasticity or stability itself. found that an index FA (absolute difference between size left right sides, corrected for trait size) differed significantly across environments, with treatment CO2+/N+ inducing greatest both leaves. Genotypes did not differ FAs. Individual plants...

Environmentally induced maternal effects on offspring phenotype are well known in plants. When genotypes or lineages replicated and raised different environmental conditions, the of their often depends environment which parents developed. However, degree to such maintained over subsequent generations has not been documented many taxa. Here we report results a study designed assess parental vegetative reproductive traits, using glasshouse‐raised lines sampled from natural populations...

Background: Plant hybrid zones often display a large diversity in floral traits due to segregation and recombination occurring the second later generations. Such can have important effects on pollinator behaviour.Aims: We hypothesised that number of types their relative densities may influence preferences level flower constancy.Methods: To test visits inflorescences most common type constancy, we monitored bumblebees' behaviour experimental arrays artificial with ('parental') mixed either...

Understanding how pollinator behavior may influence pollen transmission across floral types is a major challenge, as decision depends on complex range of environmental cues and prior experience. Here we report an experiment using the plant Antirrhinum majus bumblebee Bombus terrestris to investigate learning experience affect preferences between when these are presented together. We trained naive bumblebees forage freely flowering individuals either A. pseudomajus (magenta flowers) or...

Abstract Since its accidental introduction in 2004, the Asian yellow‐legged hornet ( Vespa velutina ) has quickly spread France. V. specializes emblematic honeybee, Apis mellifera which are unable to protect their colonies efficiently against this fierce new predator. Here, we investigated whether two defence devices, a ploy and muzzle, can bee colonies. Our results showed that neither device was able reduce number of hornets present front hive or predation efficiency (i.e. captured bees)....