The Green Hermit Hummingbird (Phaethornis guy) has a specilized bill, which signals to the plant to begin producing larger quantities of pollen.(Image credit: Eric Chan, Wikimedia Commons)
Researchers have shown that a plant can discriminate among its pollinators. The plant, Heliconia tortuosa, produced 5.7 times as much pollen when it was visited by particular species of hummingbirds than other species or insects.
The researchers suggest this ability enables the plant to maximize its reproductive strategy as the favoured hummingbirds travel greater distances, reducing the likelihood of the plant inbreeding.
A video is available.
A video is available.
Original research paper published in PNAS on March 2, 2015.
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