scholarly journals Abiotic factors may explain the geographical distribution of flower colour morphs and the maintenance of colour polymorphism in the scarlet pimpernel

2013 ◽  
Vol 101 (6) ◽  
pp. 1613-1622 ◽  
Author(s):  
Montserrat Arista ◽  
María Talavera ◽  
Regina Berjano ◽  
Pedro Luis Ortiz
Plants ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 397 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amots Dafni ◽  
Hagai Tzohari ◽  
Rachel Ben-Shlomo ◽  
Nicolas J. Vereecken ◽  
Gidi Ne’eman

The flower colour of Anemone coronaria (Ranunculaceae) is a genetically inherited trait. Such intra-specific flower colour polymorphism might be driven by pollinators, other non-pollinating agents, or by abiotic factors. We investigated the genetic relations among red, white and purple-blue flower colour morphs growing in 10 populations of A. coronaria in Israel, in relation to their breeding system, pollination modes, differential perception by bees and visitors’ behaviour. Flowers of these three morphs differed in their reflectance that could be perceived by bees. Honeybees, solitary bees and flies demonstrated only partial preferences for the different colour morphs. No spontaneous self-pollination was found; however, fruit set under nets, excluding insects but allowing wind pollination, was not significantly lower than that of natural free pollinated flowers, indicating a potential role of wind pollination. Anemone coronaria flowers were visited by various insects, honeybees and Andrena sp. preferred the white and purple-blue morphs, while the syrphid flies preferred the white flowers. Thus, visitor behaviour can only partially explain the evolution or maintenance of the colour polymorphism. No significant genetic differences were found among the populations or colour morphs. Wind pollination, causing random gene flow, may explain why no significant genetic divergence was found among all studied populations and their colour morphs. The existence of monomorphic red populations, along other polymorphic populations, might be explained by linked resistance to aridity and/or grazing.


Phytotaxa ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 502 (2) ◽  
pp. 149-159
Author(s):  
HASAN YILDIRIM ◽  
MEHTAP TEKŞEN

In this study, Fritillaria arsusiana (Liliaceae) is described and illustrated as a new species from Hatay province in southern Anatolia, Turkey. It is related to F. amana and F. hermonis by habitus features and broadly campanulate flowers, but differs mainly by its bulb shape and size, smaller leaf and flower features, and flower colour. It has also been morphologically compared with F. wendelboi, F. pinardii, and F. latakiensis. The detailed description, diagnostic characters, original photographs, geographical distribution, habitat and phenology, etymology, conservation status, and identification key of the new and the related species are presented in this study. IUCN conservation status of F. arsusiana is suggested as Critically Endangered (CR).


Author(s):  
B.L. Jat ◽  
P. Pagaria ◽  
A.S. Jat ◽  
H.D. Choudhary ◽  
T. Khan ◽  
...  

The most important factor that affects the crop production in terms of nutritional content of foliar plants is the global climate change. Herbivore’s growth, development, survival and geographical distribution all are determined by elevated CO2 and temperature. The interactions between herbivores and plants have changed due to increasing level of CO2 and temperature. The effect of high CO2 and temperature on grain legume plant which change in to plant physiology (e.g., nutritional content, foliage biomass) and how it change in herbivory metabolism rate and food consumption rate. Plant injury is determined by two factors viz. resistance and tolerance and both are influenced by greater CO2 and temperature. Legumes are an important source of food and feed in the form of proteins and also improve the soil environment. The repercussions of the abiotic factors mentioned above needs discussion among the scientific community. We may able to limit the negative repercussions of stated factors in future breeding projects by harnessing the practical favourable impacts and by including such influences of elevated CO2 and temperature on pulses productivity. The extensive research is necessary to overcome the negative effects of high CO2 and temperature on insect-plant interaction.


2018 ◽  
Vol 285 (1879) ◽  
pp. 20180285 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Côte ◽  
A. Boniface ◽  
S. Blanchet ◽  
A. P. Hendry ◽  
J. Gasparini ◽  
...  

The role of parasites in shaping melanin-based colour polymorphism, and the consequences of colour polymorphism for disease resistance, remain debated. Here we review recent evidence of the links between melanin-based coloration and the behavioural and immunological defences of vertebrates against their parasites. First we propose that (1) differences between colour morphs can result in variable exposure to parasites, either directly (certain colours might be more or less attractive to parasites) or indirectly (variations in behaviour and encounter probability). Once infected, we propose that (2) immune variation between differently coloured individuals might result in different abilities to cope with parasite infection. We then discuss (3) how these different abilities could translate into variable sexual and natural selection in environments varying in parasite pressure. Finally, we address (4) the potential role of parasites in the maintenance of melanin-based colour polymorphism, especially in the context of global change and multiple stressors in human-altered environments. Because global change will probably affect both coloration and the spread of parasitic diseases in the decades to come, future studies should take into account melanin-based coloration to better predict the evolutionary responses of animals to changing disease risk in human-altered environments.


Zootaxa ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4786 (4) ◽  
pp. 592-596
Author(s):  
PRADEEP M. SANKARAN ◽  
JOHN T.D. CALEB ◽  
MATHEW M. JOSEPH ◽  
POTHALIL A. SEBASTIAN

The golden orb-weaving spider genus Nephila Leach, 1815 currently has four representatives in India: Nephila dirangensis Biswas & Biswas, 2006, Nephila kuhlii (Doleschall, 1859), Nephila pilipes (Fabricius, 1793) and Nephila robusta Tikader, 1962 (World Spider Catalog 2020). While N. kuhlii has its type locality in Java (Doleschall 1859) and that of N. pilipes in Australasia (Fabricius 1781), N. dirangensis and N. robusta are both confined to India (World Spider Catalog 2020). Tikader (1962) described the species N. robusta based on a single female specimen collected in West Bengal. The original genitalic illustrations of this species, however, show close resemblance to that of N. pilipes, indicating its possible synonymy with the latter. To confirm the novelty of N. robusta, we examined its type specimen and the result is presented below. Additionally, we discuss the occurrence of colour morphs in the Indian populations of N. pilipes.  


2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tania Veiga ◽  
Javier Guitián ◽  
Pablo Guitián ◽  
José Guitián ◽  
Ignacio Munilla ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (7) ◽  
pp. 20190228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuma Takahashi ◽  
Suzuki Noriyuki

Polymorphisms in a population are expected to increase the growth rate and the stability of the population, leading to the expansion of geographical distribution and mitigation of extinction risk of a species. However, the generality of such ecological consequences of colour polymorphism remains uncertain. Here, via a comparative approach, we assessed whether colour polymorphisms influence climatic niche breadth and extinction risk in some groups of damselflies, butterflies and vertebrates. The climatic niche breadth was greater, and extinction risk was lower in polymorphic species than in monomorphic species in all taxa analysed. The results suggest that colour polymorphism facilitates range expansion and species persistence.


Apidologie ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 337-345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Łukasz Myczko ◽  
Weronika Banaszak-Cibicka ◽  
Tim H. Sparks ◽  
Piotr Tryjanowski

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