Abstract Although attractive scents play a crucial role in reproduction insect‐pollinated plants, the degree of variation this signal within and among populations remains understudied. Depending on specifics reproductive system plant under scrutiny, it is possible to formulate predictions regarding variation. In plants with separate sexes (dioecious species) highly specific pollination, one would predict (i) males emit more scent than females, owing sexual selection, (ii) bouquets have...

The high diversity of mutualisms has probably limited the development a general theory about their evolution and stability. Here we review conflicts interests occurring in 13 known nursery pollination systems, where pollinators reproduce within inflorescence they pollinate. We found three main interest between mutualists that correspond to following evolutionary questions: 1) Why do plants not kill pollinators’ larvae? 2) visit deceptive flowers? 3) pollinate? show reproductive system plant...

† Background and Aims About 6 % of an estimated total 240 000 species angiosperms are dioecious.The main precursors this sexual system thought to be monoecy gynodioecy.A previous angiosperm-wide study revealed that many dioecious have evolved through the pathway; some case studies a large body theoretical research also provide evidence in support gynodioecy pathway.If plants pathway, gynodioecious should co-occur same genera.However, date, no large-scale analysis has been conducted determine...

Abstract In angiosperms, dioecious clades tend to have fewer species than their nondioecious sister clades. This departure from the expected equal richness in standard clade test has been interpreted as implying that diversify less and initiated a series of studies suggesting dioecy might be an 'evolutionary dead end‘. However, two us recently showed ‘equal richness‘ null hypothesis is not valid case derived char acters, such dioecy, proposed new for comparisons; preliminary results, using...

Concentration of air pollutants, particularly ozone (O3), has dramatically increased since pre-industrial times in the troposphere. Due to strong oxidative potential O3, negative effects on both emission and lifetime atmosphere plant volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have already been highlighted. VOCs alteration by O3 may potentially affect attraction pollinators that rely these chemical signals. Surprisingly, direct olfaction behavioral response not investigated so far. We developed a...

Abstract In pollination mutualisms, floral odours are signals advertising the presence and location of rewards. However, in case dwarf palm ( Chamaerops humilis ) its species‐specific pollinating weevil Derelomus chamaeropsis ), rewards advertisements spatially separated. Flowers provide their specific pollinators with food sites for both egg laying larval development, but do not advertise them or visually conspicuous petals. Insect behavioural bioassays revealed that attracted by scents...

Abstract Gynodioecious species are defined by the co‐occurrence of two clearly separated categories plants: females and hermaphrodites. The hermaphroditic category may, however, not be homogeneous, as male fitness may vary among hermaphrodites a result many biological factors. In this study, we analysed estimates pollen quantity viability in gynodioecious Beta vulgaris ssp. maritima , comparing bearing male‐fertile cytotype cytoplasmic sterility (CMS) genes, which counteracted nuclear...

Reproductive isolation can rise either as a consequence of genomic divergence in allopatry or byproduct divergent selection parapatry. To determine whether reproductive gynodioecious Silene nutans results from allopatric ecological adaptation following secondary contact, we investigated the pattern postzygotic and hybridization natural populations using two phylogeographic lineages, western (W1) eastern (E1). Experimental crosses between lineages identified strong, asymmetric W1 E1...

This study is devoted to assess sex ratio variation among 33 populations of the gynodioecious Beta vulgaris ssp. maritima in Brittany (France) and explore causes this variation. We showed that three different CMS (cytoplasmic male sterility) cytotypes occurred populations, but strongly differed for their frequencies frequency associated nuclear restorer alleles (which counteract effect restore fertility). No correlation was found between within which has been previously interpreted as a...

Gynodioecy involves the stable co‐occurrence of females and hermaphrodites. Its maintenance theoretically depends on differences in female male reproductive success among gender morphs. Although many gynodioecious species also include gynomonoecious individuals that carry a mixture perfect flowers, little is known about fitness this third morph. Here, we present first study system Silene nutans, including females, plants, By measuring 10 floral traits controlled conditions, showed bear...

Abstract Competition for mate acquisition is the hallmark of any sexual organism. In insect-pollinated plants, competition to attract pollinators expected result in pollinator-mediated selection on attractive floral traits. This could overlap with if number mating partners increases pollinator attraction, resulting an improved reproductive success. this study, we measured a set traits and estimated individual fitness male female Silene dioica experimental population. Results align...

Gynodioecy, where females co-occur with hermaphrodites, is a relatively common sexual system in plants that often the result of genetic conflict between maternally inherited male sterility genes mitochondrial genome and biparentally fertility restorer nucleus. Previous models have shown nuclear-cytoplasmic gynodioecy can be maintained under certain conditions by negative frequency-dependent selection, but effect other evolutionary processes such as drift population subdivision only partially...

Plant mating systems are known to influence population genetic structure because pollen and seed dispersal often spatially restricted. However, the reciprocal outcomes of on dynamics polymorphic have received little attention. In gynodioecious sea beet (Beta vulgaris ssp. maritima), three sexual types co-occur: females carrying a cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) gene, hermaphrodites non-CMS cytoplasm restored that carry CMS genes nuclear restorer alleles. This study investigated effects...

How flowering plants have recurrently evolved from hermaphroditism to separate sexes (dioecy) is a central question in evolutionary biology. Here, we investigate whether diallelic self-incompatibility (DSI) associated with sexual specialization the polygamous common ash ( Fraxinus excelsior ), which would ultimately facilitate evolution towards dioecy. Using interspecific crosses, provide evidence of strong relationships between DSI system and phenotype. The reproductive F. that was...

Because the interests of mutualists are not perfectly aligned, conflicts between partners often arise, rendering mutualism unstable by allowing evolution cheating. The dwarf palm Chamaerops humilis is engaged in a nursery pollination with specific weevil Derelomus chamaeropsis. In exchange for pollen dispersal, palms provide pollinators food, shelter and egg-laying sites, but can develop only within male inflorescences. Here we show that weevils lay eggs female inflorescences processes...

Gynodioecy, the co-occurrence of females and hermaphrodites, is often due to conflicting interactions between cytoplasmic male sterility genes nuclear restorers. Although gynodioecy occurs in self-compatible species, effect self-pollination, inbreeding depression, pollen limitation acting differently on hermaphrodites remains poorly known case nuclear-cytoplasmic (NCG). In this study, we model NCG an infinite population study selfing rate, maintenance sex ratios at equilibrium. We found that...

In animal-pollinated angiosperms, the ‘male-function’ hypothesis claims that male reproductive success (RS) should benefit from large floral displays, through pollinator attraction, while female RS is expected to be mainly limited by resource availability. As appealing as this theory might be, studies comparing selection strength on flower number in both sexes rarely document asymmetry. This discrepancy could arise because impacts attraction and overall gamete number. study, we artificially...