Honey Bee parallel evolution
The honey bees and flowers have evolved together for millions of years, allowing for co-evolution to take place. Coevloution is the mutual evolutionary influence between two species (plants and bees), in which the evolution of the two species is directly linked and dependent on each other (Dyer, A. G, et al', 2012) Each of the species involved typically drives selective pressure on one another so they evolve almost simultaneously. The coevolution of two species is the greatest example of how mutualism between species can drive evolution and adaptation within species, as well as cause environmental changes.
The mutualistic relationship between bees and flowers, can be explained via the bee being provided with food (nectar and pollen) from the plant, while the stationary plant benefits via dispersal of its pollen (sperm cells) to other plants of the same species (J. Stein Carter., 29th March 2009). Over the years the efficiency of bee pollination has driven plants to evolve, with them developing flowers with increasingly specialized appearances and structures to attract potential bees to their flower, allowing for the optimization of the plants reproductive success and capability. In addition bees have undergone physiological, behavioral and structural changes to take full advantage of the evolved plants ( Rinderer, T. E, et al' 1992).
Some examples of evolutionary adaptations to promote pollination by flowers and bees include:
Flowers:
The mutualistic relationship between bees and flowers, can be explained via the bee being provided with food (nectar and pollen) from the plant, while the stationary plant benefits via dispersal of its pollen (sperm cells) to other plants of the same species (J. Stein Carter., 29th March 2009). Over the years the efficiency of bee pollination has driven plants to evolve, with them developing flowers with increasingly specialized appearances and structures to attract potential bees to their flower, allowing for the optimization of the plants reproductive success and capability. In addition bees have undergone physiological, behavioral and structural changes to take full advantage of the evolved plants ( Rinderer, T. E, et al' 1992).
Some examples of evolutionary adaptations to promote pollination by flowers and bees include:
Flowers:
- Flowering plants in Australia and around the world have independently evolved spectral signals that maximize colour discrimination by hymenoptera (Bees, wasps, sawflies and ants)(Dyer, A. G, et al', 2012).
- Plants have developed conical cells to help bees battle windy conditions, as conical cells on plants act as a velcro landing pad, allowing bees to land on plants even under windy condition (Alcorn, K. et al' 2012).
- Bees can not see red, however are able to see blue, yellow and UV light. Bee pollinated flowers are mostly yellow and blue with nectar guides as UV to help guide the bee to the flower for increased chances in pollination. Narrow floral tubes to vacate tongues of bees is also displayed. Landing pads on irregular shaped flowers vacate for the bee, such species as snapdragons will only open for bees of a certain weight (J. Stein Carter., 29th March 2009).
- Pseudocopulation - Is seen in orchids. Pseudocopulation involves orchids modifying their labellum (one of their petals) to resemble a bee. This deceives the bee to mistake the labellum for a potential mate, causing it to land on the plant and try and copulate. This causes pollen from the orchid to attach to the bee, allowing the bee to carry the pollen from one orchid to the next orchid in which the bee lands on or tries to copulate with, once the bee realizes it has been mistaken. (Roubik, D. W., 2000).
- Apis (Honey bees) have shown to display a highly evolved 'dance language', within their worker bees throughout the genus. This 'dance language' has been identified as a means of communication among colony individuals to communicate distance and direction of food, water and nesting sites (Seita Tsujiuchi, S. et al' 2007, Rinderer, T. E, et al' 1992).
- Bee anatomy - as outlined in the Bee anatomy section on this website has become well refined for the extraction and transportation of pollen and nectar. Self defense mechanisms such as the stinger and bee colours have also evolved to decrease predation and threats, while improving species survival.
Life in the colony
The Honey bees are known as a 'social' species of bees, meaning they live together in a colony of related individuals in which there is cooperative care of the young, more-or-less infertile female workers, and there is offspring that remain at the nest to help their mother produce more siblings (Delaplane, K. K. S., & Mayer, D. F. 2000)
Within the Honey bee colony individuals of the same sex occur, but are distinctively born in different sizes/physiological forms known as castes (Delaplane, K. K. S., & Mayer, D. F. 2000). The head of the colony known as the queen is a female bee that obtains the ability to mate and lay fertilized eggs that become female workers or queens. Worker bees are also females but do not mate, on occasions however they lay unfertilized eggs that become males (Delaplane, K. K. S., & Mayer, D. F. 2000). The responsibilities of a female worker bee involves cleaning and construction of the nest, brood nursing, temperature regulating, foraging for pollen and nectar, as well as being the primary security defense of the colony (Delaplane, K. K. S., & Mayer, D. F. 2000). The male bees in which they occasionally produce are also known as drones, they appear physiologically different from the worker and queen bee. Their only known function is to mate with queen bees, they also do not comprise of a stinger on their abdomen (Delaplane, K. K. S., & Mayer, D. F. 2000).
Within the Honey bee colony individuals of the same sex occur, but are distinctively born in different sizes/physiological forms known as castes (Delaplane, K. K. S., & Mayer, D. F. 2000). The head of the colony known as the queen is a female bee that obtains the ability to mate and lay fertilized eggs that become female workers or queens. Worker bees are also females but do not mate, on occasions however they lay unfertilized eggs that become males (Delaplane, K. K. S., & Mayer, D. F. 2000). The responsibilities of a female worker bee involves cleaning and construction of the nest, brood nursing, temperature regulating, foraging for pollen and nectar, as well as being the primary security defense of the colony (Delaplane, K. K. S., & Mayer, D. F. 2000). The male bees in which they occasionally produce are also known as drones, they appear physiologically different from the worker and queen bee. Their only known function is to mate with queen bees, they also do not comprise of a stinger on their abdomen (Delaplane, K. K. S., & Mayer, D. F. 2000).