Floral-oil-producing Plantaginaceae species: geographical distribution, pollinator rewards and interactions with oil-collecting bees

Floral oils as reward to pollinators occur in eleven plant families and appeared at least 28 times in the evolutionary history of flowering plants. They are produced in epithelial or tricomatic glands and collected by oil bee visitors. The present paper focuses on floral-oil-producing species of Plantaginaceae, a Neotropical group namely Angelonia clade. This group comprises around 40 described species in the genera Angelonia, Basistemon, Monttea, Monopera and the oil-less Melosperma. We present a revision of all species of the Angelonia clade, their geographical distribution, resources offered to pollinators and records of flower visitors, especially oil-collecting bees. These plants rely only on oil-collecting species in the tribe Centridini and Tapinotaspidini for a successful pollination, being the interaction between both partners an especial case of bee/flower adaptation in Neotropical region. Some bee species depend only on the oil of Plantaginaceae flowers to survive, while others can collect on several floral oil sources. The pollinating bees explore the oil glands located in sacs using specialized hairs in the forelegs. With this study, we hope to inspire further research relating to this fascinating group of plants, in which most species are rare and occur in highly endangered habitats in South American open vegetation biomes.

Download Full-text

Geographical distribution and evolutionary history of organophosphate-resistant Ace alleles in the olive fly (Bactrocera oleae)

Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology ◽

10.1016/j.ibmb.2006.05.002 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 36 (7) ◽

pp. 593-602 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Francesco Nardi ◽

Antonio Carapelli ◽

John G. Vontas ◽

Romano Dallai ◽

George K. Roderick ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Geographical Distribution ◽

Evolutionary History ◽

Bactrocera Oleae ◽

Olive Fly ◽

History Of

Download Full-text

Chromosome number in South American species of Bothriochloa (Poaceae: Andropogoneae) and evolutionary history of the genus

Plant Biology ◽

10.1111/j.1438-8677.2009.00314.x ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 12 (6) ◽

pp. 910-916 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

L. R. Scrivanti ◽

I. Caponio ◽

A. M. Anton ◽

G. A. Norrmann

Keyword(s):

Chromosome Number ◽

Evolutionary History ◽

South American ◽

South American Species ◽

History Of

Download Full-text

The unexpected survival of an ancient lineage of anseriform birds into the Neogene of Australia: the youngest record of Presbyornithidae

Royal Society Open Science ◽

10.1098/rsos.150635 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. 150635 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Vanesa L. De Pietri ◽

R. Paul Scofield ◽

Nikita Zelenkov ◽

Walter E. Boles ◽

Trevor H. Worthy

Keyword(s):

Evolutionary History ◽

South Australia ◽

First Record ◽

South American ◽

Crown Group ◽

Term Survival ◽

Skeletal Morphology ◽

Ancient Lineage ◽

History Of

Presbyornithids were the dominant birds in Palaeogene lacustrine assemblages, especially in the Northern Hemisphere, but are thought to have disappeared worldwide by the mid-Eocene. Now classified within Anseriformes (screamers, ducks, swans and geese), their relationships have long been obscured by their strange wader-like skeletal morphology. Reassessment of the late Oligocene South Australian material attributed to Wilaru tedfordi , long considered to be of a stone-curlew (Burhinidae, Charadriiformes), reveals that this taxon represents the first record of a presbyornithid in Australia. We also describe the larger Wilaru prideauxi sp. nov. from the early Miocene of South Australia, showing that presbyornithids survived in Australia at least until ca 22 Ma. Unlike on other continents, where presbyornithids were replaced by aquatic crown-group anatids (ducks, swans and geese), species of Wilaru lived alongside these waterfowl in Australia. The morphology of the tarsometatarsus of these species indicates that, contrary to other presbyornithids, they were predominantly terrestrial birds, which probably contributed to their long-term survival in Australia. The morphological similarity between species of Wilaru and the Eocene South American presbyornithid Telmabates antiquus supports our hypothesis of a Gondwanan radiation during the evolutionary history of the Presbyornithidae. Teviornis gobiensis from the Late Cretaceous of Mongolia is here also reassessed and confirmed as a presbyornithid. These findings underscore the temporal continuance of Australia’s vertebrates and provide a new context in which the phylogeny and evolutionary history of presbyornithids can be examined.

Download Full-text

Development and evolution of the gynoecium in Myrteae (Myrtaceae)

Australian Journal of Botany ◽

10.1071/bt14058 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 62 (4) ◽

pp. 335 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Rafael R. Pimentel ◽

Natália P. Barreira ◽

Diego P. Spala ◽

Nathane B. Cardim ◽

Marcelo C. Souza ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Evolutionary History ◽

Floral Anatomy ◽

Structural Diversity ◽

Morphological Characters ◽

Fleshy Fruit ◽

South American ◽

Transmission Electron ◽

History Of ◽

Ovule Number ◽

Development And Evolution

Characters of the gynoecium are considered potentially significant for the systematics of Myrtaceae. However, only two such characters – ovule number and placentation – have been addressed from an evolutionary perspective. Colleter presence in flowers is a synapomorphy of Myrtales; however, no morphological and histochemical descriptions of such structures have been done in Myrtaceae. Here we analysed the ontogeny and anatomy of the gynoecium combined with the ontogeny, anatomy, ultrastructure, and histochemistry of the colleters to study the evolution of these characters and map their states in the Myrteae phylogenetic tree. Our findings may help elucidate the evolutionary history of this tribe of fleshy-fruit producers so important towards maintaining ecological balance in the rainforest. Floral anatomy and ontogeny were analysed using light microscopy. Colleter samples were processed using standard methods for light and transmission electron microscopy. The main metabolites in colleters were detected via histochemistry. To map character states the program Mesquite version 2.71 was used. The morphological characters of the South American Myrteae here analysed provided an overview of the evolution of gynoecium – with cauline or carpellate placenta – and of colleters, as well as synapomorphies for the clades Plinia + Myrcia and Eugenia + Pimenta. The presence of two integuments in the ovules associated with sclereids and colleters in the gynoecium and the young fleshy fruit assures the efficient dispersal of their seeds. Our findings regarding gynoecium structural diversity of the tribe Myrteae give a new insight on their morphologically uniform flowers.

Download Full-text

Evolutionary History of the South American Mistletoe Tripodanthus (Loranthaceae) Using Nuclear and Plastid Markers

Systematic Botany ◽

10.1600/036364412x616783 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 37 (1) ◽

pp. 218-225 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Guillermo C. Amico ◽

Romina Vidal-Russell ◽

Miguel A. Garcia ◽

Daniel L. Nickrent

Keyword(s):

Evolutionary History ◽

South American ◽

The South ◽

History Of ◽

Plastid Markers ◽

History Of The South

Download Full-text

A new subspecies of Jodina rhombifolia (Santalales: Cervantesiaceae), with taxonomical considerations

Phytotaxa ◽

10.11646/phytotaxa.425.4.2 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 425 (4) ◽

pp. 208-218

Author(s):

MARCELO D. ARANA ◽

MARÍA LUJÁN LUNA

Keyword(s):

South America ◽

Transition Zone ◽

Geographical Distribution ◽

Distribution Patterns ◽

Neotropical Region ◽

Identification Key ◽

South American ◽

Monotypic Genus ◽

New Subspecies ◽

South Eastern

The monotypic genus Jodina is endemic from central to south-eastern South America, where it grows from southern Bolivia and Brazil, Uruguay, to northern and central Argentina. The only species included in the genus is Jodina rhombifolia, a small hemiparasitic tree about 4–8 m high that is characteristic of the chacoan environments of the Neotropical region and Monte from the South American transition zone. As part of the floristic updates in the Neotropical and Andean regions of South America, the nomenclature of taxa related to Jodina rhombifolia was re-examined. Owing to the morphological and anatomical differences observed, and the well-delimited geographical distribution patterns that suggest the existence of two distinguishable subspecific entities, a new subspecies of Jodina rhombifolia is proposed here. Two lectotypes are designated and the nomenclature is clarified. An identification key, complete descriptions of the taxa and geographical distribution of the subspecies are also provided.

Download Full-text

Lineage-independent retrotransposition of UTP14 associated with male fertility has occurred multiple times throughout mammalian evolution

Royal Society Open Science ◽

10.1098/rsos.171049 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 4 (12) ◽

pp. 171049 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jan Rohozinski

Keyword(s):

Evolutionary History ◽

Male Gamete ◽

Housekeeping Genes ◽

Evolutionary Trees ◽

South American ◽

Mammalian Evolution ◽

Interesting Aspect ◽

New Genes ◽

History Of ◽

Gamete Production

In mammals, gamete production is essential for reproductive success. This is particularly true for males where large quantities of sperm are produced to fertilize a limited number of eggs released by the female. Because of this, new genes associated with increased spermatogenic efficiency have been accumulating throughout the evolution of therian mammals. Many of these new genes are testis-specific retrotransposed copies of housekeeping genes located on the X chromosome. Of particular interest are retrotransposed copies of UTP14 that are present in many distantly related eutherian mammals. Analysis of genomic data available in ENSEMBL indicates that these UTP14 retrogenes have arisen independently in the various eutherian clades. They represent an interesting aspect of evolution whereby new homologues of UTP14 have become independently fixed in multiple mammalian lineages due to the reproductive advantage that may be conferred to males. Surprisingly, these genes may also be lost, even after being present within a lineage for millions of years. This phenomenon may potentially be used to delineate evolutionary trees in closely related groups of mammals, particularly in the case of South American primates. Studying these retrogenes will yield new insights into the evolutionary history of male gamete production and the phylogeny of eutherian mammals.

Download Full-text