2. The Emergence of Ancient Bees: From Wasp to Pollinator
Bee history starts with their wasp-like forebears. A group of predatory wasps underwent an amazing change around 120 million years ago. Traditionally hunting other insects to feed their young, these wasps started to eat pollen. This dietary change heralded the arrival of the first bees and started a co-evolutionary trip that would change the face of the earth.
The change from predator to pollinator took more than one evening. It most certainly happened gradually, with wasps first depending on pollen as their main source of food before turning to it as extra. Along with this shift, anatomical and behavioural modifications let these proto-bees more effectively gather and move pollen.
Development of branching or plumose hairs on bee bodies was one of the most important adaptations. Excellent pollen grain capturing ability of these specialised hairs let bees transfer significant amounts of pollen from one bloom to another. Moreover, certain bee species developed pollen baskets on their rear legs, therefore offering even more pollen-carrying capability.
Bees evolved behaviours that improved their efficiency as they become more specialised for pollen collecting. They discovered that visiting several flowers of the same species in succession will raise the chances of successful pollination. Some species even evolved the ability to buzz-pollinate, vibrating their flying muscles to shake pollen loose from some kinds of blooms.
The evolution of blooming plants was substantially changed by the arrival of bees as pollers. Plants that could draw and reward these effective pollinators had a major reproductive advantage, which rapidly diversified floral shapes and methods.
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