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Crypsis in non-flying mammal pollinated Proteaceae: novel adaptations and evidence of nectarivorous bird avoidance
A defining feature of the non-flying mammal pollinated (NMP) syndrome is inflorescence crypsis whereby flowers are close to the ground and somewhat hidden within the canopy. A number of species in the Cape Proteaceae are NMP, two of which were chosen as focal species for this study: Protea amplexica...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Department of Biological Sciences
2020
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| _version_ | 1867613305482248192 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Connolly, Alexandra |
| author2 | Midgley, Jeremy |
| author_browse | Connolly, Alexandra Midgley, Jeremy |
| author_facet | Midgley, Jeremy Connolly, Alexandra |
| author_sort | Connolly, Alexandra |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | A defining feature of the non-flying mammal pollinated (NMP) syndrome is inflorescence crypsis whereby flowers are close to the ground and somewhat hidden within the canopy. A number of species in the Cape Proteaceae are NMP, two of which were chosen as focal species for this study: Protea amplexicaulis and Protea humiflora. This study investigated the two previously suggested hypotheses for crypsis: hidden flowers are more difficult for nectarivorous birds to access, or hidden flowers provide greater cover for small mammal pollinators from aerial predators. Using remote triggered cameras, P. amplexicaulis and P. humiflora inflorescences were observed over the 2017 flowering period, noting visitation by birds and small mammals and assessing the legitimacy of birds as pollinators. In the literature, bird visitation to exposed inflorescences is suggested to be rare, but this study showed that it is considerable. Observations of camera footage suggest that birds are in fact illegitimate pollinators and thus nectar rob. Bird visitation to exposed inflorescences was more than tenfold that of hidden inflorescences, suggesting that crypsis is likely a strategy to avoid nectar robbing by birds. Both P. amplexicaulis and P. humiflora have been observed to retain dead leaves, which may contribute to their cryptic nature. Alternative hypotheses for dead leaf retention in Proteaceae – that it may increase flammability or result in a below canopy spike in nutrients post fire (selfish fertilization) – were assessed and rejected. Sampling of eight local Protea species showed that dead leaf retention is not a consequence of prolonged live leaf retention, with P. amplexicaulis retaining dead leaves for up to 6 years. The removal of dead leaves in 30 P. amplexicaulis individuals resulted in a significant decrease in the number of inflorescences hidden from aerial view, thus suggesting that dead leaf retention may be a strategy to enhance crypsis and thus forms part of the NMP syndrome. This research expands on the knowledge of the NMP syndrome; providing evidence in support of an anti- nectar robbing crypsis function, discovering a novel crypsis adaptation regarding dead leaf retention, and casting doubt on the Restricted Distributions hypothesis for the evolution of the syndrome. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/31394 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:34:00.978Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2020 |
| publishDateRange | 2020 |
| publishDateSort | 2020 |
| publisher | Department of Biological Sciences |
| publisherStr | Department of Biological Sciences |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/31394 Crypsis in non-flying mammal pollinated Proteaceae: novel adaptations and evidence of nectarivorous bird avoidance Connolly, Alexandra Midgley, Jeremy Proteas Crypsis Dead Leaf Retention Therophily Nectar Robbing A defining feature of the non-flying mammal pollinated (NMP) syndrome is inflorescence crypsis whereby flowers are close to the ground and somewhat hidden within the canopy. A number of species in the Cape Proteaceae are NMP, two of which were chosen as focal species for this study: Protea amplexicaulis and Protea humiflora. This study investigated the two previously suggested hypotheses for crypsis: hidden flowers are more difficult for nectarivorous birds to access, or hidden flowers provide greater cover for small mammal pollinators from aerial predators. Using remote triggered cameras, P. amplexicaulis and P. humiflora inflorescences were observed over the 2017 flowering period, noting visitation by birds and small mammals and assessing the legitimacy of birds as pollinators. In the literature, bird visitation to exposed inflorescences is suggested to be rare, but this study showed that it is considerable. Observations of camera footage suggest that birds are in fact illegitimate pollinators and thus nectar rob. Bird visitation to exposed inflorescences was more than tenfold that of hidden inflorescences, suggesting that crypsis is likely a strategy to avoid nectar robbing by birds. Both P. amplexicaulis and P. humiflora have been observed to retain dead leaves, which may contribute to their cryptic nature. Alternative hypotheses for dead leaf retention in Proteaceae – that it may increase flammability or result in a below canopy spike in nutrients post fire (selfish fertilization) – were assessed and rejected. Sampling of eight local Protea species showed that dead leaf retention is not a consequence of prolonged live leaf retention, with P. amplexicaulis retaining dead leaves for up to 6 years. The removal of dead leaves in 30 P. amplexicaulis individuals resulted in a significant decrease in the number of inflorescences hidden from aerial view, thus suggesting that dead leaf retention may be a strategy to enhance crypsis and thus forms part of the NMP syndrome. This research expands on the knowledge of the NMP syndrome; providing evidence in support of an anti- nectar robbing crypsis function, discovering a novel crypsis adaptation regarding dead leaf retention, and casting doubt on the Restricted Distributions hypothesis for the evolution of the syndrome. 2020-02-28T12:18:36Z 2020-02-28T12:18:36Z 2019 2020-02-28T08:45:41Z Master Thesis Masters MSc http://hdl.handle.net/11427/31394 eng application/pdf Department of Biological Sciences Faculty of Science |
| spellingShingle | Proteas Crypsis Dead Leaf Retention Therophily Nectar Robbing Connolly, Alexandra Crypsis in non-flying mammal pollinated Proteaceae: novel adaptations and evidence of nectarivorous bird avoidance |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | Crypsis in non-flying mammal pollinated Proteaceae: novel adaptations and evidence of nectarivorous bird avoidance |
| title_full | Crypsis in non-flying mammal pollinated Proteaceae: novel adaptations and evidence of nectarivorous bird avoidance |
| title_fullStr | Crypsis in non-flying mammal pollinated Proteaceae: novel adaptations and evidence of nectarivorous bird avoidance |
| title_full_unstemmed | Crypsis in non-flying mammal pollinated Proteaceae: novel adaptations and evidence of nectarivorous bird avoidance |
| title_short | Crypsis in non-flying mammal pollinated Proteaceae: novel adaptations and evidence of nectarivorous bird avoidance |
| title_sort | crypsis in non flying mammal pollinated proteaceae novel adaptations and evidence of nectarivorous bird avoidance |
| topic | Proteas Crypsis Dead Leaf Retention Therophily Nectar Robbing |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/31394 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT connollyalexandra crypsisinnonflyingmammalpollinatedproteaceaenoveladaptationsandevidenceofnectarivorousbirdavoidance |