18-03-2025
Fossils reveal that pollinating insects predate flowers.
Photo: @krzysztof-niewolny
Plant pollination by insects represents one of the most transformative and iconic ecological relationships in the natural world.
Most studies focused on the fossil record of insect pollinators indicate that insect pollinators were diverse and participated in the reproduction of different lineages of gymnosperms long before their association with flowering plants (angiosperms). However, much of this literature remains unknown to scientists, as well as to the general public.
In this work, researchers from the Botanical Institute of Barcelona (IBB, CSIC – CMCNB), Oxford University- Museum of Natural History and the Institute for Biodiversity Research (IRBio-UB), have worked on the body of evidence indicating that plants have been pollinated by insects since before the evolution of flowering plants and, highlight the orders of insects known with representatives of extant and/or extinct pollinators.
Importance of fossils in studying the evolutionary history of pollination
The fossil record provides a unique window into the past, allowing us to understand how relationships between pollinating insects and plants were established and evolved over millions of years. Fossil data give us clues about the earliest examples of pollination, such as plant structure and the presence of associated insects, helping us to reconstruct ancient ecological settings. Furthermore, these findings are essential for contextualizing current patterns of plant-pollinator interactions. Comparison between the past and the present can reveal key factors in coevolution, highlight changes in ecological networks, and provide information to protect current species from environmental challenges.
Reference article:
Peris, D., Ollerton, J., Sauquet, H., Hidalgo, O., Peñalver, E., Magrach, A., Álvarez-Parra, S., Peña-Kairath, C., Condamine, F.L., Delclòs, X. and Pérez-de la Fuente, R. (2025), Evolutionary implications of a deep-time perspective on insect pollination. Biol Rev. https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.70008
Original new at IBB
Plant pollination by insects represents one of the most transformative and iconic ecological relationships in the natural world.
Most studies focused on the fossil record of insect pollinators indicate that insect pollinators were diverse and participated in the reproduction of different lineages of gymnosperms long before their association with flowering plants (angiosperms). However, much of this literature remains unknown to scientists, as well as to the general public.
In this work, researchers from the Botanical Institute of Barcelona (IBB, CSIC – CMCNB), Oxford University- Museum of Natural History and the Institute for Biodiversity Research (IRBio-UB), have worked on the body of evidence indicating that plants have been pollinated by insects since before the evolution of flowering plants and, highlight the orders of insects known with representatives of extant and/or extinct pollinators.
Importance of fossils in studying the evolutionary history of pollination
The fossil record provides a unique window into the past, allowing us to understand how relationships between pollinating insects and plants were established and evolved over millions of years. Fossil data give us clues about the earliest examples of pollination, such as plant structure and the presence of associated insects, helping us to reconstruct ancient ecological settings. Furthermore, these findings are essential for contextualizing current patterns of plant-pollinator interactions. Comparison between the past and the present can reveal key factors in coevolution, highlight changes in ecological networks, and provide information to protect current species from environmental challenges.
Reference article:
Peris, D., Ollerton, J., Sauquet, H., Hidalgo, O., Peñalver, E., Magrach, A., Álvarez-Parra, S., Peña-Kairath, C., Condamine, F.L., Delclòs, X. and Pérez-de la Fuente, R. (2025), Evolutionary implications of a deep-time perspective on insect pollination. Biol Rev. https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.70008
Original new at IBB