Low bee visitation rates explain pollinator shifts to vertebrates in tropical mountains

• DOI: 10.1111/nph.17390
• Publication Date: 2021-04-17T05:24:34Z
• Authors: Agnes S. Dellinger; Rocio Pérez‐Barrales; Fabián A. Michela...; Darin S. Penneys; Diana M. Fernánde...; Jürg Schönenberger
• Keywords: Tropical climate

Evolutionary shifts from bee to vertebrate pollination are common in tropical mountains. Reduction efficiency under adverse montane weather conditions was proposed drive these shifts. Although pollinator central the evolution and diversification of angiosperms, we lack experimental evidence ecological processes underlying such Here, combine phylogenetic distributional data for 138 species Neotropical plant tribe Merianieae (Melastomataceae) with observations 11 field experiments six test whether mountain environment may indeed We demonstrate that coincided occurrence at high elevations. show vertebrates were highly efficient pollinators even harsh environmental mountains, whereas lowered significantly through reductions flower visitation rates. Furthermore, final phases Andean uplift contingent on adaptive floral trait changes alternative rewards mechanisms facilitating pollen dispersal. Our results provide abiotic (i.e. climate) reduce a clade's ancestral group correlate more new pollinators.