This page is a work in progress. Please check back as it blooms. And yes, it will have a lot more pictures!
Eventually it will look something like this:
Evolution of Flowers and Bees
Anatomy of Flower Reproduction
Bees as Pollination Agents
Pollination: An Ecological Necessity
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The story of bees begins around 140 million years ago with the with evolution of the first flowering plant. Angiosperms (flowering plants) are seed producing plants that have flowers, endosperm within the seeds, and fruits that contain seeds. This group of plants replaced gymnosperms (conifers) as the dominant tree species around 60-100 million years ago.
The reproduction of flowering plants depends on the transfer of pollen (male part) of one flower to the ovary (female part) of another. This genetic exchange between parent plants results in offspring with a new combination of inherited characteristics. Some of these offspring will be better suited to survive than others and will live to pass their genetic information to subsequent generations.
Many flowering plants rely on animal facilitated pollination such as beetles, flies, butterflies, and bees. Because bees rely solely on pollen as their source of dietary protein and nectar as their carbohydrates, they have become specialized pollination agents with behavioral and physical qualities that enhance pollination.
As flowering plants evolved to attract bees, bees evolved to make use of the nectar and pollen resources available. With increased pollination came increased diversity in both the bees and angiosperms. Eventually increased diversity led to the development of new species specifically adapted to fill niches within a given ecosystem.