Transcontinental patterns in floral pigment abundance among animal-pollinated species
Abstract Flower color arises primarily from pigments that serve dual functions: attracting pollinators and mitigating environmental stresses. Among major pigment types, anthocyanins and UV-absorbing phenylpropanoids (UAPs) fulfill one or both roles and should be widespread. Our review of the UV-vis...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-05-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-94709-4 |
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| author | Eduardo Narbona Jose C. Del Valle Justen B. Whittall Melissa León-Osper M. Luisa Buide Iñigo Pulgar Maria Gabriela Gutierrez Camargo Leonor Patricia Cerdeira Morellato Nancy Rodríguez-Castañeda Victor Rossi Katie Conrad Josephine Hernandez Mena Pedro L. Ortiz Montserrat Arista |
| author_facet | Eduardo Narbona Jose C. Del Valle Justen B. Whittall Melissa León-Osper M. Luisa Buide Iñigo Pulgar Maria Gabriela Gutierrez Camargo Leonor Patricia Cerdeira Morellato Nancy Rodríguez-Castañeda Victor Rossi Katie Conrad Josephine Hernandez Mena Pedro L. Ortiz Montserrat Arista |
| author_sort | Eduardo Narbona |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Flower color arises primarily from pigments that serve dual functions: attracting pollinators and mitigating environmental stresses. Among major pigment types, anthocyanins and UV-absorbing phenylpropanoids (UAPs) fulfill one or both roles and should be widespread. Our review of the UV-vis absorption profiles of major floral pigments demonstrates that UAPs are the primary UV protectants. Next, we analyzed the floral pigment composition of 926 animal-pollinated species from California, Southern Spain, and Southeastern Brazil. UAPs were ubiquitous (the “dark matter” of the flower). Among the remaining pigment types, ~ 56% of species had anthocyanins, ~ 37% had carotenoids, and ~ 17% had chlorophylls (some species had > 1 pigment type). Pigment abundance varied in response to abiotic and biotic factors, particularly with pollinator type in California. Despite regional differences in environmental filtering, pollination guilds, and relatedness, UAPs are omnipresent and there is a transcontinental stable distribution of flower colors and their underlying floral pigments. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-57b51467552641efbfe7ace92ef57a3a |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-57b51467552641efbfe7ace92ef57a3a2025-08-20T03:03:40ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-05-0115111410.1038/s41598-025-94709-4Transcontinental patterns in floral pigment abundance among animal-pollinated speciesEduardo Narbona0Jose C. Del Valle1Justen B. Whittall2Melissa León-Osper3M. Luisa Buide4Iñigo Pulgar5Maria Gabriela Gutierrez Camargo6Leonor Patricia Cerdeira Morellato7Nancy Rodríguez-Castañeda8Victor Rossi9Katie Conrad10Josephine Hernandez Mena11Pedro L. Ortiz12Montserrat Arista13Área de Botánica, Departamento de Biología Molecular e Ingeniería Bioquímica, Universidad Pablo de OlavideDepartamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de SevillaDepartment of Biology, Santa Clara UniversityÁrea de Botánica, Departamento de Biología Molecular e Ingeniería Bioquímica, Universidad Pablo de OlavideÁrea de Botánica, Departamento de Biología Molecular e Ingeniería Bioquímica, Universidad Pablo de OlavideÁrea de Botánica, Departamento de Biología Molecular e Ingeniería Bioquímica, Universidad Pablo de OlavideCenter for Research on Biodiversity Dynamics and Climate Change and Department of Biodiversity, Phenology Lab, UNESP - São Paulo State University, Biosciences InstituteCenter for Research on Biodiversity Dynamics and Climate Change and Department of Biodiversity, Phenology Lab, UNESP - São Paulo State University, Biosciences InstituteDepartamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de SevillaDepartment of Biology, Santa Clara UniversityDepartment of Biology, Santa Clara UniversityDepartment of Biology, Santa Clara UniversityDepartamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de SevillaDepartamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de SevillaAbstract Flower color arises primarily from pigments that serve dual functions: attracting pollinators and mitigating environmental stresses. Among major pigment types, anthocyanins and UV-absorbing phenylpropanoids (UAPs) fulfill one or both roles and should be widespread. Our review of the UV-vis absorption profiles of major floral pigments demonstrates that UAPs are the primary UV protectants. Next, we analyzed the floral pigment composition of 926 animal-pollinated species from California, Southern Spain, and Southeastern Brazil. UAPs were ubiquitous (the “dark matter” of the flower). Among the remaining pigment types, ~ 56% of species had anthocyanins, ~ 37% had carotenoids, and ~ 17% had chlorophylls (some species had > 1 pigment type). Pigment abundance varied in response to abiotic and biotic factors, particularly with pollinator type in California. Despite regional differences in environmental filtering, pollination guilds, and relatedness, UAPs are omnipresent and there is a transcontinental stable distribution of flower colors and their underlying floral pigments.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-94709-4AnthocyaninsBetalainsCarotenoidsChlorophyllsFlower colorFlower pigments |
| spellingShingle | Eduardo Narbona Jose C. Del Valle Justen B. Whittall Melissa León-Osper M. Luisa Buide Iñigo Pulgar Maria Gabriela Gutierrez Camargo Leonor Patricia Cerdeira Morellato Nancy Rodríguez-Castañeda Victor Rossi Katie Conrad Josephine Hernandez Mena Pedro L. Ortiz Montserrat Arista Transcontinental patterns in floral pigment abundance among animal-pollinated species Scientific Reports Anthocyanins Betalains Carotenoids Chlorophylls Flower color Flower pigments |
| title | Transcontinental patterns in floral pigment abundance among animal-pollinated species |
| title_full | Transcontinental patterns in floral pigment abundance among animal-pollinated species |
| title_fullStr | Transcontinental patterns in floral pigment abundance among animal-pollinated species |
| title_full_unstemmed | Transcontinental patterns in floral pigment abundance among animal-pollinated species |
| title_short | Transcontinental patterns in floral pigment abundance among animal-pollinated species |
| title_sort | transcontinental patterns in floral pigment abundance among animal pollinated species |
| topic | Anthocyanins Betalains Carotenoids Chlorophylls Flower color Flower pigments |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-94709-4 |
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