Biology
The Coevolution of Floral Traits and Pollinator Mouthparts in Hummingbirds
Quick fact
The sword-billed hummingbird, with a bill longer than its body, is the only bird that can pollinate the passionflower species Passiflora mixta, which has a corolla over 10 centimeters deep—a perfect match that has evolved through reciprocal selection.
Why this is interesting
Have you ever noticed how a hummingbird's bill looks just like the flower it feeds from? That's not a coincidence—it's an evolutionary dance where, over millions of years, each partner has been shaping the other's form.