1. Joined
    06 Mar '12
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    642
    03 Sep '14 15:093 edits
    A species of wild flower (Drummond's phlox ) has evolved to produce flowers colored purple-blue when grown alone but red when grown with sister species Phlox cuspidata to prevent it hybridizing with it presumably because, if it hybridizes, the plant just wastes energy producing seeds for hybrids that are not well adapted to either niche ( and any niche ) the two parent species have adapted to thus natural selection selects against such hybridization.

    http://phys.org/news/2014-09-wildflowers.html

    This is an unusual example of what can help to make one species split into two species.
  2. Standard memberwolfgang59
    Quiz Master
    RHP Arms
    Joined
    09 Jun '07
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    48793
    04 Sep '14 22:53
    Originally posted by humy
    A species of wild flower (Drummond's phlox ) has evolved to produce flowers colored purple-blue when grown alone but red when grown with sister species Phlox cuspidata to prevent it hybridizing with it presumably because, if it hybridizes, the plant just wastes energy producing seeds for hybrids that are not well adapted to either niche ( and any niche ) the tw ...[text shortened]... .html

    This is an unusual example of what can help to make one species split into two species.
    Presumably some local pollinating insects have a colour preference?

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