Open Access Commentary

Hybridization and speciation in angiosperms: a role for pollinator shifts?

Mark W Chase*, Ovidiu Paun and Michael F Fay

Author Affiliations

Jodrell Laboratory, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3DS, UK

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BMC Biology 2010, 8:45 doi:10.1186/1741-7007-8-45

Published: 21 April 2010

Abstract

The majority of convincingly documented cases of hybridization in angiosperms has involved genetic introgression between the parental species or formation of a hybrid species with increased ploidy; however, homoploid (diploid) hybridization may be just as common. Recent studies, including one in BMC Evolutionary Biology, show that pollinator shifts can play a role in both mechanisms of hybrid speciation.

See research article http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2148/10/103