Phylogenetic history shapes the composition of floral scents in a specialized pollination mutualism.
Cao L, Joffard N, Segar ST, Souto-Vilarós D, Johnson SD, Buatois B, Bagnères AG, Hossaert-McKey M, Proffit M.
Plant Signaling
Next time you walk past a strangler fig or spot a weeping fig in a botanic garden, know that its hidden floral perfume is a chemical heirloom passed down from ancient ancestors — not a bespoke signal tuned to its wasp partner.
Figs and their tiny wasp pollinators are one of nature's most exclusive partnerships — each fig species relies on a specific wasp to reproduce. Scientists assumed figs would evolve their flower scents to perfectly match what their wasps prefer. Instead, they found that closely related fig species smell more alike regardless of which wasp pollinates them, meaning the recipe for floral fragrance is essentially inherited from fig ancestors rather than reinvented to please each wasp.
Key Findings
Floral volatile profiles from 32 Ficus species showed a strong phylogenetic signal, meaning scent composition tracks the fig family tree more than ecological factors.
No relationship was found between a fig's scent profile and the evolutionary history of its pollinating wasp, overturning a simple pollinator-drives-scent model.
Results suggest the biosynthetic (biochemical manufacturing) pathways that produce volatile compounds are evolutionarily constrained, limiting how freely scent can evolve even under strong pollinator pressure.
chevron_right Technical Summary
A study of 32 fig species found that a fig's family tree — not its pollinator wasp — determines what scents its flowers produce. This suggests that the biochemical machinery for making floral perfumes is inherited and evolutionarily constrained, not freely shaped by which pollinator the plant is trying to attract.
Abstract Preview
Most studies of the chemical ecology of plant-pollinator interactions emphasize the role of pollinator-mediated selection in shaping floral scent composition. Nevertheless, phylogeny may constrain ...
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
Species Mentioned
Was this useful?
Nanoplastics interfere with plant-mycorrhizal communication and limit plant growth.
Microplastics breaking down in your garden soil are quietly strangling the beneficial fungi that help your vegetables absorb phosphorus and other nutrients, ...
The fig is the edible fruit of Ficus carica, a species of tree or shrub in the flowering plant family Moraceae, native to the Mediterranean region, and to western and southern Asia. It has been cultivated since ancient times and is now widely grown throughout the world. Ficus carica is the type s...