View source for Fig wasp

== Coevolution ==
{{main|Reproductive coevolution in Ficus}}

The fig–wasp [[Mutualism (biology)|mutualism]] originated between 70 and 90 million years ago as the product of a unique evolutionary event.<ref>{{Harvnb|Machado|Jousselin|Kjellberg|Compton|2001}}</ref><ref name="Cook-Rasplus">{{Harvnb|Cook|Rasplus|2003}}</ref><ref name="Herre-etal-2008">Herre et al. (2008)</ref> Since then, [[reproductive coevolution in Ficus|cocladogenesis and coadaptation on a coarse scale between wasp genera and fig sections]] have been demonstrated by both morphological and molecular studies.<ref name="Herre-etal-2008" /><ref>{{Harvnb|Molbo|Machado|Sevenster|Keller|2003}}</ref> This illustrates the tendency towards coradiation of figs and wasps.<ref name="Herre-etal-2008" /> Such strict cospeciation should result in identical [[phylogenetic tree]]s for the two lineages<ref name="Cook-Rasplus" /> and recent work mapping fig sections onto molecular phylogenies of wasp genera and performing statistical comparisons has provided strong evidence for cospeciation at that scale.<ref name="Cook-Rasplus" />

Groups of genetically well-defined pollinator wasp species [[coevolution|coevolve]] in association with groups of genetically poorly defined figs.<ref name="Machado-etal-2005">Machado C.A., Robbins N., Gilbert M.T.P., Herre E.A. Critical review of host specificity and this coevolutionary implications in the fig/fig-wasp mutualism. (2005). ''Proc. Of the National Acad. Of Sci. of the U.S.A''.102(1), 6558-6565. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0501840102</ref> The constant hybridization of the figs promotes the constant evolution of new pollinator wasp species. [[Host switch]]ing and pollinator host sharing may contribute to the incredible diversity of figs and fig wasp species like ''[[Pegoscapus]]'' as they result in hybridization and introgression''.''<ref name="Machado-etal-2005" />