Sucrose digestion capacity in birds shows convergent coevolution with nectar composition across continents

T.J. McWhorter; J.A. Rader; J.E. Schondube; S.W. Nicolson; B. Pinshow; P.A. Fleming; Y.T. Gutiérrez-Guerrero; C. Martínez del Rio

doi:10.1016/j.isci.2021.102717

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Sucrose digestion capacity in birds shows convergent coevolution with nectar composition across continents

Journal article

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Sucrose digestion capacity in birds shows convergent coevolution with nectar composition across continents

T.J. McWhorter, J.A. Rader, J.E. Schondube, S.W. Nicolson, B. Pinshow, P.A. Fleming, Y.T. Gutiérrez-Guerrero and C. Martínez del Rio

iScience, Vol.24(7), Art. 102717

2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2021.102717

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Abstract

The major lineages of nectar feeding birds (hummingbirds, sunbirds, honeyeaters, flower-piercers, and lorikeets) are considered examples of convergent evolution. We compared sucrose digestion capacity and sucrase enzymatic activity per unit intestinal surface area among 50 avian species from the New World, Africa, and Australia, including 20 nectarivores. With some exceptions, nectarivores had smaller intestinal surfaces, higher sucrose hydrolysis capacity, and greater sucrase activity per unit intestinal area. Convergence analysis showed high values for sucrose hydrolysis and sucrase activity per unit intestinal surface area in specialist nectarivores, matching the high proportion of sucrose in the nectar of the plants they pollinate. Plants pollinated by generalist nectar-feeding birds in the Old and New Worlds secrete nectar in which glucose and fructose are the dominant sugars. Matching intestinal enzyme activity in birds and nectar composition in flowers appears to be an example of convergent coevolution between plants and pollinators on an intercontinental scale.

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Title: Sucrose digestion capacity in birds shows convergent coevolution with nectar composition across continents
Authors/Creators: T.J. McWhorter (Author/Creator) - The University of Adelaide
J.A. Rader (Author/Creator) - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
J.E. Schondube (Author/Creator) - Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
S.W. Nicolson (Author/Creator) - University of Pretoria
B. Pinshow (Author/Creator) - Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
P.A. Fleming (Author/Creator) - Murdoch University
Y.T. Gutiérrez-Guerrero (Author/Creator) - Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
C. Martínez del Rio (Author/Creator)
Publication Details: iScience, Vol.24(7), Art. 102717
Publisher: Elsevier
Identifiers: 991005540806307891
Copyright: © 2021 The Author(s).
Murdoch Affiliation: School of Environmental and Conservation Sciences; Harry Butler Institute
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration; International collaboration
Citation topics: 3 Agriculture, Environment & Ecology; 3.64 Phylogenetics & Genomics; 3.64.612 Pollination
Web Of Science research areas: Zoology
ESI research areas: Plant & Animal Science