Research in the Himalayas has investigated how flowers evolved distinctive bee-friendly colours to attract pollinators.
This under-researched environment also provided an ideal natural experiment to understand the potential effects of environmental variability on plant-pollinator interactions.
Previous studies had shown that flower colour evolved to attract bees as pollinators in temperate environments, but the story for subtropical or steep mountainous environments had been unknown.
The research could shed light on how flower colours may continue to evolve in particular environments, depending upon the availability of the most effective pollinators.
Read more at Monash University