The co-optimization of fl oral display and nectar reward.
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Date
2009-12
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Abstract
In most insect-pollinated fl owers, pollinators cannot detect the presence of nectar without entering the fl ower.
Therefore, fl owers may cheat by not producing nectar and may still get pollinated. Earlier studies supported this
‘cheater fl ower’ hypothesis and suggested that the cost saving by cheater fl owers could be the most predominant
selective force in the evolution of nectarless fl owers. Previous models as well as empirical studies have addressed
the problem of optimizing the proportion of nectarless and nectarful fl owers. However, there has been no attempt to
optimize the investment in nectar production along with that in fl oral display. One of the key questions that arises is
whether the fl oral display will evolve to be an honest indicator of nectar reward. We use a mathematical model to cooptimize
the investments in nectar and fl oral display in order to achieve maximum reproductive success. The model
assumes that pollinators rely on a relative rather than an absolute judgement of reward. A conspicuous fl oral display
attracts naïve pollinators on the one hand and enhances pollinator learning on the other. We show that under these
assumptions, plant–pollinator co-evolution leads to honest signalling, i.e. a positive correlation between display and
reward.
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Belsare Prajakta V, Sriram Balasubramanian, Watve Milind G. The co-optimization of fl oral display and nectar reward. Journal of Biosciences. 2009 Dec; 34(6): 963-967.