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: Juan Isaac Moreira Hernandez, Lilian Rodrigues Ferreira De Melo, Charlie Woodrow, Andrei Dumitrescu, Thaina Resende Monteiro

Publications

Vibration mechanics involved in buzz pollination lead to size-dependent associations between bumblebees and Pedicularis flowers.

Xu, Yuanqing; Wu, Bentao; Vallejo-Marín, Mario; Bernhardt, Peter et al.

Part of Science China Life Sciences, p. 2503-2514, 2025
- DOI for Vibration mechanics involved in buzz pollination lead to size-dependent associations between bumblebees and Pedicularis flowers.
Nuances of floral mimicry in Queen of Sheba orchids.

Scaccabarozzi, Daniela; Flematti, Gavin R; Brundrett, Mark C; Vallejo-Marín, Mario et al.

Part of Annals of Botany, p. 583-595, 2025
- DOI for Nuances of floral mimicry in Queen of Sheba orchids.
Introduction to special issue: floral ecology, genetics, and evolution in an unprecedentedly fast changing world

Pico, F. Xavier; Traveset, Anna; Vallejo‐Marín, Mario; Arroyo, Juan

Part of AoB Plants, 2025
- DOI for Introduction to special issue: floral ecology, genetics, and evolution in an unprecedentedly fast changing world
- Download full text (pdf) of Introduction to special issue: floral ecology, genetics, and evolution in an unprecedentedly fast changing world
Natural neopolyploids: a stimulus for novel research

Edger, Patrick P.; Soltis, Douglas E.; Yoshioka, Shunsuke; Vallejo‐Marín, Mario et al.

Part of New Phytologist, p. 78-93, 2025
- DOI for Natural neopolyploids: a stimulus for novel research
- Download full text (pdf) of Natural neopolyploids: a stimulus for novel research
Increasing temperatures affect thoracic muscle performance in Arctic bumblebees

Woodrow, Charlie; Sepulveda-Rodriguez, Guadalupe; Rajan, Samyuktha; Mitschke, Michael et al.

Part of Nature Communications, 2025
- DOI for Increasing temperatures affect thoracic muscle performance in Arctic bumblebees
- Download full text (pdf) of Increasing temperatures affect thoracic muscle performance in Arctic bumblebees
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
Establishment of polyploidy in natural populations of Mimulus guttatus

Salony, Susnata; Clo, Josselin; Vallejo‐Marín, Mario; Kolar, Filip

Part of Plant Systematics and Evolution, 2024
- DOI for Establishment of polyploidy in natural populations of Mimulus guttatus
Evidence of introduced honeybees (Apis mellifera) as pollen wasters in orchid pollination

Scaccabarozzi, Daniela; Guzzetti, Lorenzo; Pioltelli, Emiliano; Brundrett, Mark et al.

Part of Scientific Reports, 2024
- DOI for Evidence of introduced honeybees (Apis mellifera) as pollen wasters in orchid pollination
- Download full text (pdf) of Evidence of introduced honeybees (Apis mellifera) as pollen wasters in orchid pollination
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, p. 379-398, 2024
- DOI for Harvesting pollen with vibrations: towards an integrative understanding of the proximate and ultimate reasons for buzz pollination

Part of 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. Vanessa Marcelo (2023-2024)
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)
Luc Jansen (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)
Christian Ary Castro (2023)
Elodie Morell (2023)
Eloi Chauvet (2024)
Fesiha Yavuz (2024)

Short-Exchange Visiting Professors and Scholars

Lislie Solis-Montero (2024)
Vinicius Britto (2019-2020, 2021-2022)
Paul de Luca (2010)