Pollination is the transfer of pollen grains from the anthers (male structures) to the stigma (female receptive surface) of flowers, enabling fertilization and subsequent seed and fruit formation in seed plants. It can occur via abiotic vectors such as wind and water or biotic agents including insects, birds, bats, and other animals. Pollination biology investigates floral traits, plant–pollinator interactions, pollen viability and compatibility, and temporal/spatial patterns of pollen flow. It is central to studies of plant reproduction, gene flow, population genetics, coevolution, and community ecology, and underpins many agroecological and conservation research programs focused on pollinator services and plant reproductive success.
The left-right asymmetry of South African butterfly lilies (genus Wachendorfia) has been regarded as a classic evolutionary puzzle for more than a century. Due to the mirror-image arrangement of the floral parts, the plants ...
Evolution
Aug 2, 2026
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39
Summer can be lovely—until a wasp turns up. Whether they present as an irritating picnic visitor or an uninvited attic guest, common social wasps are as much a part of our summer as festivals, sunscreen and the growing despair ...
Ecology
Jul 29, 2026
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311
Scientists have found a genetic switch that could shave years off avocado breeding by allowing researchers to identify one of a young tree's most important traits long before it flowers.
Molecular & Computational biology
Jul 29, 2026
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13
If you've driven down two-lane highways in rural parts of North Florida recently, you may have noticed a spate of new signs that designate the grassy knolls bordering the asphalt as wildflower areas. The signs likely feel ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 18, 2026
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629
You may be spotting dead bumblebees lying on pavements near you during the summer months. There are several reasons for this, some related to the weather and some very much due to humans.
Plants & Animals
Jul 10, 2026
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233
Facing both climate change and a crashing pollinator population, plants may be evolving to attract pollinators rather than adapting to a warming climate, and the trade-off has resulted in a steep decline in plants' rate of ...
Evolution
Jul 9, 2026
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359
High above the rainforest floor, tiny ponds form in the leaves of plants perched on tree branches. Frogs breed in these ponds, alongside insects, microbes and even tiny crustaceans, creating miniature ecosystems suspended ...
Evolution
Jul 9, 2026
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26
A study by the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA) has highlighted the impact Varroa mites will have on crop pollination in Tasmania if the parasitic mites become established in the state. The study was prompted by the ...
Ecology
Jul 8, 2026
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54
Ongoing research reveals how the aroma of cannabis is influenced not only by the chosen cultivar, but also by different drying and storage methods. Through a combination of high-resolution chromatography and human-perception ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Jul 7, 2026
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10
Hummingbirds make bromeliad plants split into new species twice as fast as other pollinators do, scientists at the University of Reading have found. The research team gathered records of which animals pollinate 403 types ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 6, 2026
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