Flowers leave nothing to chance: they follow invisible guidelines to decide the disposition Of colors, drawings And plots on the petals, with the aim of attracting them more effectively bees and other pollinators. This is what emerged from a study conducted byUniversity of Cambridge and published on Science Advances. Research has found that flowers not only plan their “graphics” in advance, but are also able to precisely modify them thanks to various biological mechanisms.
Designs to attract pollinators
THE drawings on the petals they are not just decorative: they serve to guide the insects towards the center of the flower, where nectar and pollen are found. However, the processes that lead to the formation of these fascinating features remain partly unknown. The researchers, led by Lucie Riglethave studied some species of hibiscus characterized by a darker central part of the petals. During flower development, the cells of a specific region become larger than the others, drawing the boundary line between the two colors in advance.
An evolutionary advantage for flowers and bees
The study revealed that the bees they prefer flowers with larger central designs and, as a result, are quicker to visit them. This behavior is beneficial for both species: the bees get to visit 4 flowers in the same amount of time they would normally visit 3, improving pollination efficiency. In this way, plants gain an evolutionary advantage, increasing their chances of reproduction.
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