Biodiv Sci ›› 2008, Vol. 16 ›› Issue (5): 446-453.  DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1003.2008.08149

Special Issue: 传粉生物学 物种形成与系统进化 昆虫多样性与生态功能

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A brief review of phylogenetic reconstruction and co-evolution of fig-wasp mutualism

Xu Lei, Yang Darong()   

  1. Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223
  • Received:2008-06-30 Accepted:2008-09-16 Online:2008-09-20 Published:2008-09-20
  • Contact: Yang Darong

Abstract:

Figs (Ficus, Moraceae) constitute one of the greatest genera of flowering plants with ca. 750 species worldwide. Figs and fig wasps form an obligate specific mutualism, which is treated as the model system to study comparative biology of mutualism and co-evolution. This extraordinary system has received increasing attention because of its specificity and the development of the molecular technologies, although the phylogenetic reconstruction of both partners began in the 1990’s. In this paper, we summarized the research on phylogenetic relationships and fig-fig wasp co-evolution. We also analyzed interrelated researches in China and the future developing trends in research on this mutualism.

Key words: figs, fig wasps, mutualism, molecular phylogeny, co-speciation