Phylogenetic structure in mutualistic networks

The mutually beneficial interactions between plants and animals have shaped biodiversity. These interactions are organized in complex networks with well-defined patterns that highly influence the stability of the whole communities. Nonetheless, few studies have addressed which evolutionary and ecological processes generate these network structures. Here we analysed whether phylogeny accurately predicts interaction patterns of animals and plants in 36 plant-pollinator and 23 plant-frugivore mutualistic networks. We found that phylogeny is significantly correlated with the number of interactions per species and the interactors’ identity. The phylogenetic effect is highly variable among communities. Hence, these results provide evidence for the role of evolutionary history in shaping patterns of mutualistic interactions.

References
Bascompte, J., P. Jordano, C. Melián, and J. Olesen. 2003. The nested assembly of plant-animal mutualistic networks. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science 100:9383-9387.
Bascompte, J., P. Jordano, and J. M. Olesen. 2006. Asymmetric coevolutionary networks facilitate biodiversity maintenance. Science 312:431-433.