Phenotypic selection patterns in a hybrid zone between two Calceolaria species with contrasting pollinators: insights from field surveys and fitness assessments

Abstract

Hybrid zones provide natural experimental settings to test hypotheses about species divergence. We concentrated on a hybrid swarm in which oil-collecting bees and flower-peckingbirds act as pollinators of two Calceolaria species. We asked whether both pollinators contributed to flower divergence by differentially promoting prezygotic fitness at the phenotypicextremes that represent parentals. We studied pollinator-mediated selection on phenotypic traits critical in plant–pollinator mechanical interaction, namely plant height, reward-to-stigma distance, and flower shape.We utilised the quantity and quality of pollen deposited as fitness measures and distinguished between the contribution of the two pollinator types. Results showed uni- and bivariate disruptive selection for most traits through pollen grains deposited by both pollinators. Bird-mediated fitness favoured low plants with a longreward-to-stigma distance and a straight corolla, while bee-mediated fitness favoured tall plants with a short reward-to-stigma distance and curved corolla. In addition, stabilising selection at one end of the phenotypic range showed a bird-mediated reproductive asymmetrywithin the swarm. The disruptive pattern was countered, albeit weakly, by hybrids receiving higher-quality pollen on the stigmas. Results suggest that pollinator-mediated selection promotes divergence of integrated flower phenotypes mechanically adjusted either to bees or birds underscoring the importanceof pollinator specialisation in diversification.