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Playing with extremes: Origins and evolution of exaggerated female forelegs in South African Rediviva bees.
- Source :
-
Molecular phylogenetics and evolution [Mol Phylogenet Evol] 2017 Oct; Vol. 115, pp. 95-105. Date of Electronic Publication: 2017 Jul 27. - Publication Year :
- 2017
-
Abstract
- Despite close ecological interactions between plants and their pollinators, only some highly specialised pollinators adapt to a specific host plant trait by evolving a bizarre morphology. Here we investigated the evolution of extremely elongated forelegs in females of the South African bee genus Rediviva (Hymenoptera: Melittidae), in which long forelegs are hypothesised to be an adaptation for collecting oils from the extended spurs of their Diascia host flowers. We first reconstructed the phylogeny of the genus Rediviva using seven genes and inferred an origin of Rediviva at around 29MYA (95% HPD=19.2-40.5), concurrent with the origin and radiation of the Succulent Karoo flora. The common ancestor of Rediviva was inferred to be a short-legged species that did not visit Diascia. Interestingly, all our analyses strongly supported at least two independent origins of long legs within Rediviva. Leg length was not correlated with any variable we tested (ecological specialisation, Diascia visitation, geographic distribution, pilosity type) but seems to have evolved very rapidly. Overall, our results indicate that foreleg length is an evolutionary highly labile, rapidly evolving trait that might enable Rediviva bees to respond quickly to changing floral resource availability.<br /> (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
- Subjects :
- Animals
Biological Evolution
Electron Transport Complex IV classification
Electron Transport Complex IV genetics
Female
Hindlimb anatomy & histology
Phenotype
Phylogeny
RNA Polymerase II classification
RNA Polymerase II genetics
RNA, Ribosomal, 28S classification
RNA, Ribosomal, 28S genetics
Bees classification
Hindlimb physiology
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1095-9513
- Volume :
- 115
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Molecular phylogenetics and evolution
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 28757446
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2017.07.025