Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41906216›Full record

ArticleThe New phytologist2026

Phylogenetic history shapes the composition of floral scents in a specialized pollination mutualism.

Li Cao, Nina Joffard, Simon T Segar, Daniel Souto-Vilarós, Steven D Johnson, Bruno Buatois, Anne-Geneviève Bagnères, Martine Hossaert-McKey, Magali Proffit

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The New phytologist, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Li CaoCentre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive, CNRS UMR5175, Université de Montpellier, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier Cedex 5, 34293, France.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9830-0102
Nina JoffardUniv.Lille, CNRS, UMR 8198 - Evo-Eco-Paleo, Lille, 59000, France.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3712-6080
Simon T SegarAgriculture and Environment Department, Harper Adams University, Newport, TF10 8NB, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6621-9409
Daniel Souto-VilarósScience Research Initiative, College of Science, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8803-5173
Steven D JohnsonCentre for Functional Biodiversity, University of KwaZulu-Natal School of Life Sciences, Pietermaritzburg, 3209, South Africa.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5114-5862
Bruno BuatoisCentre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive, CNRS UMR5175, Université de Montpellier, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier Cedex 5, 34293, France.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3574-8425
Anne-Geneviève BagnèresCentre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive, CNRS UMR5175, Université de Montpellier, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier Cedex 5, 34293, France.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1729-379X
Martine Hossaert-McKeyCentre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive, CNRS UMR5175, Université de Montpellier, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier Cedex 5, 34293, France.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9274-0994
Magali ProffitCentre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive, CNRS UMR5175, Université de Montpellier, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier Cedex 5, 34293, France.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2227-0410

Funding

Agence Nationale de la Recherche Nice Figs BDIV no-006-01Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique GDRI-CNRS of MadagascarCentre National de la Recherche Scientifique LIA(IRP)-MOSTCentre National de la Recherche Scientifique Prime-80-CNRSNational Natural Science Foundation of China 32261123001National Research Foundation GUN61497Yunnan Key Research and Development Program 202503AP140027
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Most studies of the chemical ecology of plant-pollinator interactions emphasize the role of pollinator-mediated selection in shaping floral scent composition. Nevertheless, phylogeny may constrain the metabolic pathways underlying these profiles, thereby influencing the evolutionary trajectory of the emitted signals. To investigate whether phylogenetic history constrains plant chemical communication, we used the obligate fig-fig wasp mutualism. We collected floral scents from receptive figs of 32 Ficus species, representing diverse lineages across tropical and subtropical regions, using dynamic headspace extraction. Chemical compositions were analyzed via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and evaluated for the phylogenetic signal using multivariate analyses. Our results revealed a strong phylogenetic signal in the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by receptive figs. Conversely, using the same analysis, we found no relationship between the scent profile and the pollinator phylogeny. Our findings demonstrate, across diverse Ficus lineages, that phylogenetic constraints play a significant role in the diversification of VOC signals emitted by receptive flowers, suggesting constraints in the biosynthetic pathways of volatile compounds.

Indexed as

FicusFlowersOdorantsPhylogenyPollinationSymbiosisAnimalsGas Chromatography-Mass SpectrometrySpecies SpecificityVolatile Organic CompoundsWaspsVolatile Organic Compoundschemical mediationFicusfloral scentsmutualismphylogenypollination

Identifiers

PMID41906216
PMCPMC13150316

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.