Vallejo-Marín lab

Ecology and evolution of plant reproduction and pollination

My lab studies plant diversity and evolution, with a particular emphasis on the evolution of reproductive strategies and speciation. Our overarching goal is to understand how ecological, genetic and evolutionary processes interact to generate the amazing diversity of flowering plants. To tackle this main goal, we use a combination of field and glasshouse experiments, genomics, phylogenetics, biomechanics, and theoretical models.

Our projects include:

The ecology, biomechanics, and evolution of buzz pollination
Evolution of floral form and function
Hybridisation, genome duplication, and speciation in introduced monkey flowers (Mimulus spp., Phrymaceae)

For more information, please see our external website

Group members

Research leader: Mario Vallejo-Marin

Group members: Vanessa Gonzaga Marcelo, Lilian Rodrigues Ferreira De Melo, Charlie Woodrow, Lisette van Kolfschoten, Karin Alexandersson Ros, Luc Jansén, Lorna Graham (based at Strathclyde University)

Publications

Harvesting pollen with vibrations: towards an integrative understanding of the proximate and ultimate reasons for buzz pollination

Vallejo-Marin, Mario; Russell, Avery L

Part of Annals of Botany, 2024
- DOI for Harvesting pollen with vibrations: towards an integrative understanding of the proximate and ultimate reasons for buzz pollination
Bumblebees' flower preferences are associated with floral abundance and buzz frequency when buzz-pollinating co-flowering plants

Huang, Wen; Vallejo‐Marín, Mario; Inouye, David W.; Yang, Chun-Feng et al.

Part of Entomologia generalis, p. 133-141, 2024
- DOI for Bumblebees' flower preferences are associated with floral abundance and buzz frequency when buzz-pollinating co-flowering plants
Floral scent changes in response to pollen removal are rare in buzz-pollinated Solanum

Moore, C. Douglas; Farman, Dudley I.; Särkinen, Tiina; Stevenson, Philip C. et al.

Part of Planta, 2024
- DOI for Floral scent changes in response to pollen removal are rare in buzz-pollinated Solanum
- Download full text (pdf) of Floral scent changes in response to pollen removal are rare in buzz-pollinated Solanum
Trait‐dependent diversification in angiosperms: Patterns, models and data

Helmstetter, Andrew J.; Zenil‐Ferguson, Rosana; Sauquet, Hervé; Otto, Sarah P. et al.

Part of Ecology Letters, p. 640-657, 2023
- DOI for Trait‐dependent diversification in angiosperms: Patterns, models and data
Intraspecific variation of scent and its impact on pollinators' preferences

Vega-Polanco, Mayumi; Solis-Montero, Lislie; Rojas, Julio C.; Cruz-Lopez, Leopoldo et al.

Part of AoB Plants, 2023
- DOI for Intraspecific variation of scent and its impact on pollinators' preferences
- Download full text (pdf) of Intraspecific variation of scent and its impact on pollinators' preferences
Opposing effects of plant traits on diversification

Anderson, Bruce; Pannell, John; Billiard, Sylvain; Burgarella, Concetta et al.

Part of iScience, 2023
- DOI for Opposing effects of plant traits on diversification
- Download full text (pdf) of Opposing effects of plant traits on diversification
Reproductive strategy of an invasive buzz-pollinated plant (Solanum rostratum)

Vega-Polanco, Mayumi; Solís-Montero, Lislie; Vallejo‐Marín, Mario; Arévalo-Monterrubio, Leonardo Daniel et al.

Part of South African Journal of Botany, p. 342-352, 2023
- DOI for Reproductive strategy of an invasive buzz-pollinated plant (Solanum rostratum)
Anther cones increase pollen release in buzz‐pollinated Solanum flowers

Vallejo‐Marín, Mario; Pereira Nunes, Carlos Eduardo; Russell, Avery Leigh

Part of Evolution, p. 931-945, 2022
- DOI for Anther cones increase pollen release in buzz‐pollinated Solanum flowers
- Download full text (pdf) of Anther cones increase pollen release in buzz‐pollinated Solanum flowers
How and why do bees buzz? Implications for buzz pollination

Vallejo‐Marín, Mario

Part of Journal of Experimental Botany, p. 1080-1092, 2022
- DOI for How and why do bees buzz? Implications for buzz pollination
- Download full text (pdf) of How and why do bees buzz? Implications for buzz pollination
Blooms and buzzing bees: Bridging buzz pollination and biotremology

De Luca, Paul Anthony; Vallejo‐Marín, Mario

Part of Biotremology, p. 261-292, Springer Nature, 2022
- DOI for Blooms and buzzing bees: Bridging buzz pollination and biotremology

Research areas

Plant Ecology and Evolution

Lab alumni

PhD Students

C. Douglas Moore Ph.D. (2023)
Lucy Nevard Ph.D. (2022)
Anna Karen Zapata Carbonell Ph.D. (2019)
Pauline Pantoja Ph.D. (2018)
Zarah Pattison Ph.D. (2016)
Lislie Solis-Montero. Ph.D. (2014)

Postdoctoral Fellows

Dr. Daniela Scaccabarozzi (2023)
Dr. Carlos Eduardo Pereira Nunes (2019-2022)
Dr. David Pritchard (2019-2021)
Dr. Jurene Kemp (2019-2021)
Dr. Sofie Meeus (2014-2016)
Dr. Violeta Simon-Porcar (2014-2016)

Research Technicians

Catriona Walker (2011)
Sophie Webster (2013)
Jessica Goodman (2019)

M. Sc. Students

William Smith (2014)
Gilbert Gauci (2016
Angel Olivares Espinosa (2016)
Sara Bisset (2017)
Aaron Martin (2017)
Jack Reid (2017)
Rebecca Brown (2021)
Darren Elder (2021)
Nicole Leadbetter (2022)
Sikar Aman (2022)
Karin Alexandersson-Ros (2024)

B. Sc. Honours Students

Short-Exchange Students

Eudes Jouet-Pastre (2013)
Clement Bergounhou (2013)
Bertrand Travacca (2013)
Mathieu Quenu (2015)
David Real Fernandez (2016)
Enrique Maguilla Salado (2016)
Blanca Arroyo Correa (2016, 2018)
Esther Senden (2016)
Alba Casillas (2017)
Aime Rubini Pisano (2017)
Daniele Da Re (2017)
Bernardo Garcia Simpson (2023)
Ary Castro (2023)
Elodie Morell (2023)
Eloi Chauvet (2024)

Short-Exchange Visiting Professors and Scholars

Vinicius Britto (2019-2020, 2021-2022)
Paul de Luca (2010)